Kingdom Hearts: Dark Side of the Moon
by natcat5
Summary: The Keybearers are home, but is peace and quiet all it's cracked up to be? And how long will it last? With the appearance of a girl from a crumbling world, and attacks by fierce new creatures, Sora's world will never be the same
1. Chapter 1

**Ta-dah! My second fanfiction! And sooo much better than my first! Okay, please read, because this is a good story and I'm really proud of it (does a happy dance). Eeee! I can't believe the first chapter is finished! **

***Disclaimer **

**Roxas: Oh god, please don't tell me that you're one of those idiots that uses characters from their stories to do the disclaimers. **

**Me: Excuse me? I am not an idiot! I am a crazy, homicidal, moron! Get your derogatory terms straight! **

**Roxas:... **

**Me: Oh, just do the stupid disclaimer. **

**Roxas:.....Natcat5 does not own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix, or Disney. She doesn't own Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Kairi, Sora, or Riku. She doesn't own Destiny Islands either, or the keyblade, or Kairi's good luck charm. Do I have to keep going?**

**Me: Actually, I think you were good with just saying that I didn't own Kingdom Hearts. **

**Roxas:....(leaves) **

**Me: Haha! He's such a grump! Oh well, enjoy! **

**Kingdom Hearts: Peace and Quiet?**

Sora looked up into Kairi's face, uncontainable feelings of joy rising up within him as he stared into her pale blue eyes. Sora grinned at her, and reached down for her good luck charm, bringing it up for her to see. Kairi's figure wavered for a moment, and Sora had the feeling of looking at her through someone else's eyes, her red hair turning blonde momentarily and her features changing slightly. Then, the moment was over, and with a relieved chuckle, Sora wiped water out of his eye and stared at the girl he had crossed multiple universes for.

"W-we're back," he stammered, barely able to digest the wonder of the words. Kairi smiled and offered him her hand. "You're home."

Grinning widely, Sora took her hand, pressing the good luck charm into her palm. Kairi smiled and clasped his hand tighter, pulling him upwards.

"Aw," chuckled Donald from behind them, nudging Goofy with not so subtle winks. The gentle knight hyucked and blushed for Sora's sake.

"Now guys, be nice," scolded King Mickey, wading onto the beach with Riku. The silver-haired warrior shook water out of his silky locks and smiled at his friends, giving Sora thumbs up. Kairi and Sora blushed, and let go of each other, Kairi now holding the lucky charm. Riku smirked, folding his muscled arms across his chest. "Oh no, don't you two stop on our account," he said with a suggestive raise of his eyebrows. Sora blushed profusely and looked at the ground, while Kairi just laughed.

Donald and Goofy stepped out of the shallows, and the six of them stood there, silenced by the awe of it all.

Donald and Goofy walked towards the King that they had tried so hard to find, standing on his left and right respectively. They had followed his orders and traipsed across many worlds on his quest. Now it was over, and their duty was done. The knight and the magician exchanged smiles over the large ears of their leader.

Riku walked over to where Kairi and Sora stood, and the three friends stood in a circle. The last time they had all been together, they had been fighting for their lives. Before that, Kairi had been without a heart and Riku had been possessed by the evil Ansem. Now Kairi was whole and Riku had found the way to the light, with the help of their good friend, Sora.

The spiky haired teenager stared at his friends in overjoyed wonder. He'd searched everywhere for them, undergone countless trials and tribulations, given up his heart, and left behind the only home he'd ever known for the two people standing in front of him. Now, they were together. It was almost surreal, and Sora found himself fearing that it would all disappear in a moment. Suddenly, he grabbed hold of Riku and Kairi's hands. The two of them stared at their friend, puzzled.

"We're together again," whispered Sora, "We're finally together."

Riku looked down at the ground, knowing that they would have been together a lot sooner if it wasn't for him, but then looked up again as he felt Sora tighten his grip. "Friends forever, no matter what," whispered the brunette, staring Riku in the eyes. Riku smiled and nodded. "Forever, no matter what."

Kairi let out a little gasp and let go of Sora's hand, only to tackle him into the fiercest hug he'd ever received. "Oof!" he exclaimed as he was thrown backwards into the sand, pulling Riku down with him. The dark warrior collapsed beside his friends, and Kairi wrapped her arms around both of them, crying into Sora's chest.

"You guys can't ever leave me again, okay? If anything else happens, I'm coming with you, no matter what," she sobbed. Riku hesitated. He didn't like the thought of Kairi coming with them on any adventures, but he couldn't bear to see her so distraught. "Okay," he whispered.

"Wmph!" mumbled Sora, trying to breath through Kairi's hair, which was covering his face. King Mickey chuckled. "Princess Kairi? I believe you are suffocating the Keyblade Master," he said with a smile. Kairi gasped and sat up, looking down at Sora with worry.

"Sora? Sora are you alright? I'm sorry!" she said, wiping the tears from her face. After taking a grateful breath, Sora smiled. "It's okay Kairi...erm, you wanna...maybe...," Sora blushed as Riku sat up beside them, saw the position they were in, and burst out laughing. Colour rose in Kairi's cheeks as she realized she was straddling Sora, and she jumped off him hurriedly. Sora slowly got up, his face burning. Donald and Goofy were killing themselves laughing, and King Mickey couldn't help but chuckle merrily.

There was an embarrassed silence from Sora and Kairi as their companions laughed joyfully over the events that had transpired. Suddenly, Kairi gasped again as she remembered something, and she turned to Sora.

"Come on, we've got to get back to the main island!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hand again and tugging him towards the docks. Sora raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Why, are they being attacked by heartless or something?" he asked summoning the Kingdom Key. Kairi rolled her eyes and punched him on the shoulder. "Ow!" cried the Keyblade wielder, dropping his weapon onto the sand, "What was that for!"

Kairi shook her head at Sora. "Oh, you stupid hero, didn't you ever wonder what was going on back home? You've been missing for a _year;_ your parents think you're dead! You too, Riku," said the red-haired girl, looking at the two boys disapprovingly.

Riku stopped laughing and frowned. His parents? His father had left years ago, leaving him, his five younger siblings, and his mother....

Riku's eyes widened as he remembered the silver-haired, green-eyed woman who had cared for him the first fifteen-years of his life. The teenaged boy mentally slapped himself.

"Mom...," he whispered, shame filling him as he realized that he hadn't given his mother a thought the entire time that he had been away, nor had he thought of his siblings.

Sora gasped and jerked back as if Kairi had slapped him. Memories of his mother flooded him, her light brown hair, soft brown eyes and delicious cooking. Not to mention her tendency to worry about the littlest things... Sora winced as he realized what she must have gone through the past year, and his dad... Sora's dad had short, dark brown hair, and the same bright blue eyes as him. He was strict, and no-nonsense, the exact opposite of his son, and they had often butted heads. There had been plenty of times that Sora wished his father would just jump off a cliff, but now, all he wanted to do was see him again.

"Wait, Kairi, you came back to the islands! Didn't you tell them what happened?" asked Goofy, scratching his head. Sora turned to look at his red-haired friend, frowning slightly. "Yeah, how come you didn't tell our parents what happened to us?" he asked with narrowed eyes. Riku stayed silent, clenching his fists. He wasn't so sure he wanted his family to know what happened.

Kairi blushed and tucked wayward strands of hair behind her ears. "Well, for starters, I was kind of mostly unconscious for the duration of the first adventure, and when I got back...I was really sad. I didn't really talk to anyone...I didn't _want _to talk to anyone, and when they asked me what happened I'd just say, 'I don't remember.' It stuck for a little while, then of course," Kairi let out a little laugh, "I really _did _forget what happened, so did everyone else, and they stopped pressing me...,"

Sora shook his head in disbelief. "I still don't understand how everyone forgot me. How in the world could you forget this face?" he asked, making an adorable puppy dog pout and widening his vibrant blue eyes. Kairi giggled. "I don't know Sora, but just be thankful that they remember you _now. _Everyone had begun to realize that I wasn't crazy, talking about some other guy that used to hang out with Riku, and we're beginning to question me again when I left. They should remember you completely now," she said with an encouraging smile.

Sora sweatdropped and swallowed nervously. "Should?" he asked, his voice cracking in fear.

While his friends had been conversing, Riku had been thinking. The entire island...the entire _universe _had forgotten Sora, had they remembered him?

"Hey," began Riku hesitantly, pushing a hand through his silvery hair, "They didn't....did they...," Kairi smiled at her friend, realizing what he was wondering. "Well Riku, they remembered who you were, but they didn't really remember _you. _You were always with Sora, so I guess the memories didn't make sense without him in it. People didn't deny you existed like they did with Spike over here-," Sora raised an eyebrow and touched his hair with an annoyed pout, "-but they'd get confused if someone would bring you up. Usually, people would just not talk about you guys," said Kairi, a solemn look on her face. "It was really sad."

Sora stopped touching his hair and raised an eyebrow at the girl. "They didn't remember us...and yet, they think we're dead...," he said, smoke practically coming out of his ears as he tried to figure out how in the world that could happen. "Don't hurt yourself Sora," cautioned Riku with a mocking smirk. Sora rubbed his forehead with his hand and glared at his friend.

Kairi laughed at the boys' antics and smiled at them fondly. "They thought you were dead _before _they forgot about you. Now that they remember you, they probably think you're dead again," she explained. Sora let out a sigh and sat down with a thump. "My brain hurts, I think everyone needs to stop talking for a minute while my head stops spinning," he mumbled.

Donald, Goofy, the King, Kairi, and Riku laughed heartily at their easily confused and somewhat simple minded friend.

_I'm so glad they're back, _thought Kairi, staring at her brown and silver-haired friends with affection. _I've been so lost without them, I never want to be separated from Sora and Riku again...especially Sora. _Kairi blushed as Sora looked up at her, the childish pout back on his face. _Sora, you don't know how horrible it was for me, not being able to remember you, _she thought to herself, recalling how she always felt like something was missing, like there was a major part of her life that she had forgotten, and the sadness that had filled her as a result.

_I'm so sorry Kairi. _

Kairi looked up in surprise. "Huh?" she said aloud, turning her head to look for the owner of the voice. Sora stood up, moving closer to his friend worriedly. "What's wrong Kairi?" he asked, hand at ready to summon the Keyblade if need be. Riku stopped laughing and turned to his friends, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Donald and Goofy, having not heard or seen Kairi's distress, continued to chortle gaily, while King Mickey paused in his merriment to observe the Keyblade wielders.

"Kairi?" pressed Sora, putting his hand on her shoulder, "are you okay?" Kairi turned to look at her wild-haired friend, her eyes narrowed in confusion. "What? Uh, yeah, I'm okay..." Kairi turned her head to once again look behind her. "...let's get back to the main island,"

Sora looked at her, an incredulous look on his face, but then, shrugging, he turned away and, placing his hands behind his head, began walking towards the docks. Riku lingered a few moments, staring at Kairi, before following his friend. The King watched them go, then turned to Kairi.

"Princess," he began, looking at the fifteen-year-old girl, "I have something to tell you, and you should tell Riku and Sora as well...I don't think that you guys should tell anybody about where you've been. Keep pretending that you've lost your memory, and the boys should do the same."

Kairi looked down at the mouse king in surprise, as did Donald and Goofy. "What?!" quacked Donald in surprise. Goofy scratched his head. "Gawrsh your Majesty, now why do they gotta go and do that?" inquired the silly knight.

"Kairi!" Kairi turned her head to see Sora waving at her from where he stood beside Riku, next to a boat tied up at the docks. Ignoring him for the moment, she turned back to the King.

"King Mickey, I don't understand, why do we have to lie?" she asked, puzzled. Mickey sighed. "You see Kairi, Sora, well; he's been to a lot of worlds this past year. I'd be lying if I said he hadn't made countless enemies, and I'd also be lying if I said some of them won't come after him. I'm also sure that there are people out there who would fight him, just to see if they could beat the Keyblade Master. It's better if no one know where he is, and there's a better chance of that happening if no one here knows who he is," the mouse king said, looking at the teenaged boy with worry. Kairi's face mirrored that look, fear filling her for her friend.

Goofy frowned. "Your Highness, does that mean that people might come after Riku and Kairi as well? I mean, they both have keyblades, and Riku has knocked out a lot of people," he hyucked. Mickey nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Kairi, you and Riku should be careful as well. Just remember, don't tell anyone, it'll be safer for you and the boys that way," said the King seriously. Kairi nodded.

"Goodbye, King Mickey," she said softly, bowing. Mickey smiled. "Goodbye Princess, say bye to Riku and Sora from me will you?"

"And us to!" quacked Donald. Kairi smiled and nodded again, before turning and running to meet the boys at the boats.

_I understand where King Mickey is coming from, _thought the Princess, _but will it be enough to stop our enemies from coming here and disturbing the peace? Are we a threat to our home? _

**Duh, Duh, DUH!!!! Bwahahaha!! Just when we all thought they were safe and sound on Destiny Islands....we thought wrong! Seriously people, Sora is an annoying little bugger, if he had creamed me in my home world, I would totally go after him! **

**But, as we will find out in oncoming chapters, it is not the old enemies, that our spiky-haired friend should worry about....(smiles evilly) **

**Bwahahaha!!!! **

**Okay, this is my first serious fanfic, the other one was kind of to test the waters, or more specifically, to see if I could actually upload a story without causing my computer to spontaneously combust. **

**Reviews people! Tell me what you think! Oh, and I'd welcome LOTS of constructive criticism, but be gentle, I bruise easily. **

**XOXO, Natcat5 ;P **


	2. Coming Home

**Here we go! Second chapter is poooosted! YAY!!**

***Disclaimer **

**Me: (holds Roxas doll) Here boy, c'mere! There's a good boy! Who wants Roxas? Who wants the Roxas doll?**

**Axel: Me! Me! I do! Gimmiegimmiegimmie! **

**Me: Down boy! Do the disclaimer and maybe I'll let you play with Roxas! **

**Axel: Okay! Natcat5 does not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters! Except the OCs that you will meet soon...Am I done?**

**Me: Yup. **

**Axel: Gimme Roxas doll! **

**Me: Sorry, (hides doll from Axel) **

**Axel: Nooooo! You promised!**

**Me: Don't worry Axel...**

**Roxas: (enters) Hey, why the heck do you want to see me natca-(sees Axel) **

**Roxas: Oh $#&* **

**Axel: Roxas!!!! (tackles Roxas and carries him off to some hideaway, where he does unspeakable, kinky things...) **

**Me: Lmao, that's what you get for being a grump to me Roxas! **

**Coming Home**

Kairi sighed as she walked towards the boat, thinking deeply about what the King had said.

_He's right, but I doubt the boys will like having to be silent much, _she thought to herself. _Well, maybe Riku won't mind, but Sora probably wants to do nothing but brag to Wakka and Tidus...now he can't..._

The Princess's thoughts trailed off as she reached the dock, and she looked at one of the three boats tied up with slight bewilderment.

Sora and Riku were already in the boat. Riku was slumped over the bow of the boat, his head on his left arm as he snored uproariously. Sora was leaning against the stern of the boat, his face upturned to the sky. His hands were on either side of the boat, trailing in the water and his mouth was wide open, drool already making its way down his chin.

They were fast asleep.

The red-haired teenager was puzzled for a second, and then a realization hit her.

_I never thought about it before, _thought Kairi, _but those two must be exhausted. They fought the leader of the Nobodies, the embodiment of darkness and nothing, and defeated him single-handedly. I don't think they had time to rest between that and the battle we were in before. No wonder they passed out. _

Kairi smiled at her friends, leaning over to brush some hair off of Sora's face. Sighing, she put her hands on the side of the boat, readying herself to jump in, when a thought struck her.

_But wait...how am I supposed to get to the main island? There's no way I can row the three of us there by myself, and the King, Donald and Goofy have probably already left via Gummi ship... _

Kairi bit her lip in worry, looking at her sleeping comrades with regret. They looked so peaceful...and she really didn't want to wake them up, but she didn't have-

Just then, a blue, furry head arose from the bottom of the boat. Kairi jumped back in surprise, raising her hands up into what she believed to be a fighting stance.

A small, dog-like Koala creature grinned at Kairi, before standing up to reveal four arms, each holding a paddle.

"Go fast now?" asked the creature, waving the paddles excitedly. Kairi frowned as she regarded the creature, somewhat apprehensive of trusting it. Was it a new kind of Heartless? It didn't seem dark...

"Who are you?" she asked, taking a step back.

The creature did a back flip, twirling the paddles.

"Miga Stitch! Sora summon me before he go sleep! Wanna go fast now?" he stated coyly, with a slightly evil laugh.

Kairi raised an eyebrow, before turning to look at the sleeping Keyblade Master.

_He must have felt himself falling asleep, _she thought to herself, _and summoned...Stitch to help us get to the island. Huh. Sora thinking ahead, will wonders ever cease! _

Kairi turned back to the creature, Stitch, and smiled.

"Okay Stitch, if you're a friend of Sora's then maybe we can work together!" she exclaimed, climbing into the boat.

Stitch nodded and placed the paddles in the water. "Ih," he said in agreement, before whirling his arms in a windmill and sending the boat pitching forward through the water, breaking the rope that tied it to the dock.

Kairi screamed as she fell backwards in the boat, landing beside the furry alien.

"Miga Naga Queesta!" cried Stitch, laughing maniacally as the boat literally flew through the water, lifting off the ocean's surface on several occasions.

With supreme effort, Kairi managed to sit up, gripping the sides of the boat tightly.

_Thanks a lot Sora, _she thought to herself bitterly. _We'll get to the island in less then a minute, but we'll be splatter art all over this boat! _

Kairi flinched as Stitch let out another sociopathic laugh, and she looked back at Sora in wonder. The teenaged boy was still out to the world, despite the fact that the bumpy ride and instability of the boat had caused the top of his head to dip into the water numerous times.

The Princess turned to look at Riku, who was also still asleep, though his eyes were twitching slightly, hinting that the rough journey was disturbing his rest.

Kairi sighed and shut her eyes, wishing for nothing more than the hellish trip to be ov-

_**Bang!!!!**_

Kairi let out a shriek as the boat crashed into the dock of the main island. Her eyes flew open in time to see Stitch standing on Riku's head, waving cheekily at her before disappearing in an overdramatic puff of smoke.

Kairi stared at the empty space in shock and then stood up shakily, observing her surroundings.

They were at the docks of the main island, a large area filled with boats of varying size and degree. Fishing boats, racing boats, rescue boats, and simple row boats all filed the area. The dock that Stitch had crashed them into was right in the center of the area, and Kairi winced as she saw the two halves of the boat that used to rest in the spot they were now in.

The front of their boat was damaged on the left side, and that side of Riku's body dipped precariously into the water. However, the teenager continued to be out to the world, and his snores seemed to increase in volume.

Sora's head was half submerged in water, as the boat had ridden onto the dock slightly, putting it on an incline that had Sora falling backwards into the water. The water covered the top of his head and his eyes, stopping in the middle of his nose. The Keyblade Master continued to sleep obliviously, drool mingling with the water.

Kairi shook her head in disbelief as she saw the hilarious positions her friends were in, and the fact that it had yet to awaken them from their deep slumber.

"What's going on?! Who's causin' all that ruckus down there?!"

Kairi looked up as she heard an angry sounding voice coming from the dock.

A teenager stood there, with dirty, sea-scorn clothes and a shock of red-orange hair, held upright by a wide blue headband. In one hand he held a paddle, and under the other arm he held a blue and white ball.

Kairi smiled as she recognized Sora and Riku's Blitzball loving friend, Wakka.

"Hello, Wakka," she said pleasantly. "It's me, Kairi."

Wakka took a startled step backwards, then advanced angrily, about to admonish the girl for yanking his chain. Then, he looked closer, and saw that it was, in fact, the girl that had gone missing. Joy filled the boy, and it only increased when he saw that she wasn't alone in the boat...

"Riku! Sora!" he exclaimed jubilantly, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the two boys were unconscious, "You're alright! Oh man, we've been worried sick about you guys! We thought you was dead! Wait until I tell the others! I gotta get Tidus and Selphie. Oh, and you guys's parents! Ha, I've got to get the whole island! Wait a second man, I'll be right back!"

Kairi watched in amusement as Wakka ran off, practically leaping for joy as he went to rouse the island.

The red-haired girl made her way carefully across the splintered boat and jumped up onto the dock, stumbling slightly on the uneven planking, made more precarious by the damage done to it by the wayward vessel.

Kairi sighed and closed her eyes, turning her face to the sky.

_It's great to be home, _she thought. _I've missed Destiny Islands...the peaceful waters, the lulling breeze, the serenity of it all....._

"SOOOOOORRRRAAAAA!!!"

Kairi let out a little cry, and jumped, her eyes flying open as a piercing shriek rent the air. The Princess turned around in time to see a flash of golden-brown hair and oven-mitt covered hands before something crashed into her and sent her flying into the water.

"_Do you want cookies Sora?" _

"_I have the best cookies," _

"_The only cookies Sora's having are mine!" _

"_No! Sora's having my cookies!" _

"_Sora, aren't my cookies the best?" _

_Sora stared at the giant plate of vanilla cookies in Kairi's hands, then at the giant plate of cinnamon sugar cookies in Namine's hands. _

_He swallowed nervously. _

"_Well....um....hehe...." _

"_What about _my _cookies?!" _

_Sora whirled around. _

_Behind him was another girl, with shoulder length, raven-black hair that curled into ringlets at the tips. She had golden brown eyes and a dusting of freckles across her nose. She was wearing baggy, ripped black cargo pants, and a black halter top with silver lining. One black wristband adorned her right wrist, while a silver one adorned her left. She seemed to be about Sora's age, if not a bit older, and she was holding a plate of dark chocolate cookies. _

"_Well Sora?" chorused the three girls. _

_The Keyblade Master sweatdropped, and whipped his head back and forth between all the girls. _

"_Uh...uh...," he stammered, wilting under the glare of the three angry teenagers. _

"_Sora," said the black-haired girl, leaning down towards the brunette. "How could you say no?" she smiled, revealing two extra sharp canines. Sora stared at her, mesmerized by her golden eyes and sinister, but winning smile. She placed her hand on his arm, and waved one of her cookies tantalizingly in front of his face. Sora followed it with his eyes, completely rapt by the girl and her cookies. _

"_Fawn...," he whispered enthralled. _

_Kairi and Namine shrieked in rage, and Sora turned around to see them both holding keyblades, aimed at him and the girl. _

"_Sunlight shadowed by Moonlight, Moonlight fed by darkness. Light led astray, Dark rendered useless, Twilight betrayed by all, and consumed by the Moon and the Night," said both girls ominously._

_Sora's eyes widened and he took a step backward. _

"_W-wait, what does that mean? And wh-why are you pointing those at me? Why are you all getting so worked up about cookies...," Sora trailed off as he saw the tips of the keyblades beginning to glow. _

"_Don't forget Keyblade master," said Fawn, whispering in Sora's ear. "How could you say no?" _

_With that, Kairi and Namine fired, and Sora flung his arms up in front of his face. _

"_Waaaaa!!!!" Sora flew backwards, as he was hit by a barrage of water. _

Can't breathe, _he thought to himself, _Can't move....

Sora's eyes flew open and he opened his mouth, trying to take a grateful breath, but water flew into his lungs instead. The Keyblade Master let out a cry and floundered about, completely disoriented.

Something grabbed onto the hood of Sora's jacket and yanked him to the surface. The teenager spat out jets of water and blinked his eyes, trying to clear his blurred vision.

"Sora! Sora are you alright? Sora! Speak to me!!"

Mari Mey shook her son fiercely, her oven-mitted hands grasping his jacket tightly.

"W-wah....s-stop sh-shaking m-me!" implored Sora, going cross-eyed as he was shaken back and forth ruthlessly.

Riku broke surface, coughing as he shook his head, looking around dazedly.

"Rikuuu!"

The silver-haired teenager felt himself being tugged onto the dock and found himself staring up into five pairs of identical green eyes.

"Where have you been?"

"Big brother, are you okay?"

"Did you bring us anything?"

"Yeah, did you bring us a present?"

"Wiku!!"

Riku smiled as he looked up into the faces of his five siblings. Twelve-year-old Maki, with silver, Roxas-esque hair, ten-year-old Allis, with curling, white-silver ringlets, the twins, Yori and Kole, Kole, with wild, curly, light silver locks, and Yori with dead straight, white-silver hair, and three-year-old Benj, with long silver hair that already fell to his shoulders.

"Hey, guys," he said softly, sitting up. The five Riku-clones smiled at their big brother.

"Riku! You've been gone for two years!"

"We thought you were deeeaaaddd,"

"Wiku!"

"Yeah, but then Wakka came, and he said you were back!"

"We all ran soooo fast!"

"Mom's out on the boat, fishing. She'll be soooo happy when she gets back!"

"Wiku!"

"I think we're the first ones here!"

"No way, Mrs. Mey is the first one here. Did you see how fast she ran?"

"Yeah, and then she saw Sora and jumped onto the boat!"

"And it broke in half!"

"Wiku!"

"Yeah, and when she ran by she pushed Kairi in the water!"

"Hehe, so now all three of you are soaking wet!"

"Wiku!"

"Look, Mrs. Mey, is practically strangling Sora right now!"

The five hyperactive children looked behind Riku, who turned his head.

Mari Mey, Sora's mother, had the brown-haired teenager in the tightest grip known to man. Sora's eyes were practically bugging out as he struggled to breathe in his mom's embrace.

"SoraMeyIswearyougavemethescareofmylifeIthoughtIhadlostyouforeverohmygodIcan'tbelieveyou'rebackpleasedon'teverleavemeagainohmygodohmygodohmygodohymygod!!!"

Mari released a senseless stream of words as she tightly hugged her son.

"Mom....can't...(gasp)....please....need...oxygen....," sputtered Sora.

_**This woman needs to take her pills...**_

Sora started, startled by the phantom voice that had just echoed through his mind, but he dismissed it as being caused by lack of air, and tried to wriggle out of his mother's clutches.

Kairi watched in amusement as her two friends were reunited with their families. She was dripping wet from landing in the water after Mari had pushed her in during her mad dash for the boat, and she wrung water out of her dress irritably.

The Princess turned her head as she heard shouts, and saw the rest of Destiny Island rushing towards the docks to welcome the boys home.

Kairi smiled.

_We're back, _she thought to herself.

_We're home. _

**And so, we have another chapter finished. I'm so glad, this thing was torture to write. The only fun I had was when I was writing Sora's dream. **

**What was with that weird dream? And who is Fawn? What did DreamKairi and DreamNamine mean? What's gonna happen next? And will Roxas ever escape Axel's kinky clutches?? O_O **

**Hehe, review and maybe you'll find out! **

**Seriously, review, it fills my heart with such joy! **

**And if you don't review I won't update as fast, because I have other stories that **_**are **_**reviewed and if they get more reviews I have to update them first! **

**P.S. Akuroku lovers, don't attack me, I love that pairing too, and I actually don't mind Yaoi, but I just couldn't resist! I think I'm going to torture Roxas regularly in my disclaimers ******

**Until next time! **


	3. Can't Take it In

**Third Chapter! And the last calm one. After this chapter, the action begins! **

***Disclaimer **

**Me: Hola! Roxas is, um, out of commission, so today we have...**

**Marluxia: Hi! Omg, I am sooo glad to be here right now! **

**Me:...I thought I was getting Demyx. **

**Marluxia: Demyx is at some concert, I dunno, some weird band. He is so weird! It's all music, music, music with that guy! I mean, really, have you seen his hair? It's not his sitar he should be worried about! **

**Me:....disclaimer....**

**Marluxia: Right! Natcat5 **_**totally **_**does not own Kingdom Hearts! But she does own this fabulous story!**

**Me: .....Thank you, now leave. Now. **

**Can't Take it In **

Sora leaned against the bent Papou tree on the Play Island, his eyes closed as the gentle breeze blew through his spiked hair. The waves lapped against the shore, providing a lulling background soundtrack for the beautiful morning.

It had been two weeks since the Keyblade Bearer and his friends had crashed into the dock of the Main Island. Two weeks since they had been practically smothered to death by all of the townspeople, and then taken into the Square for a massive welcome home feast that had left Riku and Sora more bloated then penguins at an all you can eat buffet. Two weeks since Kairi had pulled the boys aside and told them that they couldn't tell anyone where they had been, what they had seen, and what they had done. Sora had been less than enthusiastic about that, but Riku had been relived if anything. Two weeks since Sora's parents had begun to watch his every move, keeping an eye on him every morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Two weeks since Riku's mom had treated him like a prince, excusing him from all past chores and bringing him meals and all his heart's desires. Two weeks since Kairi's adoptive father had welcomed back his little princess with welcoming, forgiving arms wide open. Two weeks since the three teenagers had come home, together, at long last.

Sora smiled as he remembered the times and events of the last fortnight. The constant welcoming, the back-pounding, the suffocating hugs, the barrage of 'Where have you been?' questions, and the tears. Lots and lots of tears from all the Island women. Tidus's mother had smothered him with her large, one-pocket-holds-all apron, and Wakka's mother had berated them for disappearing, while crying and stuffing their faces with homemade bread. Unfortunately, Riku and Sora hadn't been able to understand most of what she said, as she had the same thick accent as Wakka, except much thicker.

_Everyone _had wanted to know where they had been, and 'I don't remember' was met with disbelieving glares and lots of nagging from friends and family members. The Islanders didn't buy it, didn't believe that the teenagers didn't remember anything. They couldn't have not remembered anything that they had experienced; they were too different. To changed to not have gone through some life-changing event.

Kairi, little Kairi, had always been a little princess, delicate, but strong-willed. Now, she was strong, and sure of herself, with a noble feel to her that gave her the air of a warrior queen. A determined, tough woman who could take care of herself and others, and demanded respect just by the impression she left.

Riku had always been an impulsive, too-cool-for-school, kid with a temper and bully-like tendencies. Now he was silent, stoic, and respectful of others. Gone were the quick flashes of temper, now replaced by an impassive calm and wisdom beyond his years. His carefree attitude had also gone, leaving a darkness in his eyes that haunted those who dared look to deep into them.

Then, there was Sora. Sora had always been a joyful, carefree, exuberant, positive little ray of mischievous sunshine that had run wild among the islands. Now, he was more thoughtful, more careful about things. He, the teenager that never seemed to grow up, took his time with things, and didn't rush into situations. He wasn't as hyper, and in fact, many of the things that had been his trademark, like boasting, picking fights with people much too big for him, and rushing headfirst into events, had ceased all together. Sora had grown up. He was still joyful, and relatively positive, but now, he was also realistic, and calm.

Then of course, there were the cuts, bruises and scars all over Riku and Sora, that both of them swore they had no memory of receiving, and the thick calluses on both their hands.

Nobody believed that the teenagers had really forgotten where they had been, and the suspicious looks and constant wheedling was beginning to drive Sora insane.

So he was on the Play Island, relaxing and rejoicing in the serenity of the place that had been his home away from home the first fourteen years of his life.

_I missed this, _Sora thought to himself, _I missed this so much. How could I have ever left this place? What could compare to this?_

Then, Sora felt a pang of nostalgia as he remembered all the beautiful, amazing places he had seen on his travels. All the friends he made, all the things he experienced, all the worlds he had saved....

With a sigh, Sora looked up to the sky.

_Are you up there now? _He thought as he regarded the blue firmament, with wispy clouds drifting across it. _Are you wondering where I am? If I'm okay? Do you remember me? Do you miss me? Do you wish you could see me again? _

_Do you feel everything I'm feeling right now?_

Sora closed his eyes, as he was barraged by memories of his friends.

Brave, noble Leon, Cloud, and his never-ending mission against Sepiroth, The Great, completely insane, Ninja Yuffie, grumpy old Cid, Tarzan and his family, Phil and his grouchy way, Simba, ruling the pridelands, Peter Pan, never growing old, the Beast, finally together with his beautiful Belle, Jack Skellington, so innocent, and so often led astray, Aladdin, the roguish thief, Jack Sparrow, the perpetually drunk, completely dishonest, yet somehow lovable pirate, Winnie-the-Pooh, innocent, and indescribable, Merlin, wise magician with the heart of a four-year-old, The Princesses of Heart, beautiful girls with a beautiful light that shone from within them all, Donald and Goofy, garrulous, true, and noble companions, with whom Sora had shared countless adventures, trials, tribulations, fierce battles, and amusing banters, and King Mickey, the great mouse King who had helped Sora seal away Kingdom Hearts and had watched over and protected the Keybearer and his friends.

All of these people, and so many more, whom Sora had met, befriended, and then left behind.

Sora felt another, fiercer pang of nostalgia as he thought of his journeys with Donald and Goofy in more detail.

_I really miss them, _He thought to himself, _I really miss Goofy, and the way he knows things others always seem to miss, and I miss Donald, and how he always had my back in battle, even though we argued a lot, and Goofy would have to break it up..._

The memories sent a pang of longing through the brunette, and Sora found himself missing his adventures, and missing travelling from world to world with his friends.

He missed his friends.

He missed them a lot.

_Stop it, _said Sora firmly to himself. _You're finally home, you made it! You finally made it back after two years of wandering....you spent six months saving the universe and searching for Riku and Kairi, another six months doing...god knows what, then you wake up, and spend a year saving the universe again! It's time for a break. It's time for a nice, long, permanent vacation. The universe is saved, you're home, and Riku and Kairi are with you. Be happy dammit! _

Sora gritted his teeth and clenched his fists together tightly.

_**I honestly don't think swearing at yourself will make you any happier. **_

Sora looked up, and glanced around him in confusion. Who had said that?

_**I did. **_

Sora let out a yelp as Roxas emerged from his body, transparent and ghost like, just as he had been last time. He still wore his red, black, and white outfit, with the checkered wristband and rings on his left hand. His blonde-hair was still spiked, and seemed to blow in the breeze, despite the fact that the Nobody was intangible, and his blue eyes were sparkling in amusement at Sora's surprised expression.

"R-roxas?" stammered Sora in disbelief, looking at the teenaged boy in wonder.

"The one and only," said Roxas with a smirk. "Well, actually, I guess that's not completely true, because I'm technically _you, _which means there are two of us," Roxas held up two fingers to accentuate his point.

Sora stared at his nobody in wonder, standing up to face him.

"H-how...how are you here Roxas? And...that voice I've been hearing...that was you? Hey! You insulted my mother!" said Sora indigently, once again clenching his fists.

Roxas laughed and put his hands behind his head, winking roguishly at his brunette counterpart.

"Hey, the woman was smothering me too. And yeah, I'm the little voice in your head, telling you to do evil things in the middle of the night...," an evil look graced Roxas's handsome face, and the blonde laughed again.

Sora raised an eyebrow. He didn't remember his Nobody being quite this...eccentric.

"But, whatever, yeah, Namine was right when she said we wouldn't disappear. We're kind of like, backseat drivers in your mind. You know, observing everything that goes on, making snarky comments where they're _really _not needed...," explained Roxas, laughing again.

Sora regarded Roxas with confusion. This _really _wasn't the Roxas he remembered. That Roxas had been pensive, and serious, and not sarcastic and slightly insane...

"Um," said Sora, clearing his throat, "Roxas, uh, there's something...different about you," he said, hesitantly.

Roxas smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, I figured. I guess I've kind of warmed up to you or something. 'Cause, you know, I'm not as serious as people take me for. At first I am, but once you get to know me..." The blonde teenager smiled sadly, "Axel's rubbed off on me _way _to much,"

A pang of pain went through Sora as he remembered the red haired Pyromaniac that had saved his life. The brunette felt the same pain coming from Roxas, in greater waves.

There was silence between the two boys.

The blonde shook his head and took a deep breath.

"Well, whatever. What's done is done. We've got to focus on the now and the present, and the now and the present is a depressed Keybearer with nothing to do but sit around and mope," said Roxas, the snarky smirk returning to his face as he looked at Sora with contempt.

Sora blushed, remembering the internal tirade he had had earlier, and realizing that Roxas must have heard it.

The blonde laughed and waved his hands in dismissal.

"Oh don't worry your spiky little head, I won't tell anyone about the semi-emo rant you had...well, except Namine, which means Kairi, which is _really _unfortunate for _you," _said Roxas, laughing again. "But you've got to get your head out of the clouds Sora. You're home! Finally! Enjoy it! Because seriously, it's not going to last. As weird as I may seem now, I'm still pensive and serious and all that junk, and I'm smarter than you, trust me. I _know _that it's not over. It'll never be completely over. It may be in a year, or five years, or in a week, but you'll be called back Sora. You're not done saving the universe; you'll never be done. So enjoy this while it lasts, because it _won't." _

Sora stared at Roxas, his mouth hanging open in surprise. A long winding speech like that was the last thing he had expected from the new, Axel-centric Roxas. And what he had said...

A cold chill filled the Keyblade bearer as what his Nobody had said sunk in.

_I'm not finished, _he thought to himself in horror, _I'm not done. I'll never be done..._

Just then, there was a noise coming from the other side of the bridge Roxas looked in that direction, his eyes narrowed.

"Wu-oh, we've got company. Ick, I feel naked when I'm all transparent like this, as if people can see my spleen or something. Hows about we continue this conversation internally?" said the blonde-haired teenager with a smile. Roxas extended his hand and touched Sora's head, then, he disappeared in a flash of blue light.

_**Hola, me amigo! I am back! **_

Sora groaned as he heard Roxas's voice in his mind.

_I have a feeling, _thought the brunette, wincing, _that this could be very annoying. _

_**Got that right chica. **_

_Chica? _

_**Bear with me; I've got a craving for something Spanish. **_

"Sora!"

Sora turned his head to see Kairi and Riku walking down the beach towards him. Kairi was waving energetically, while Riku was impassive, as usual, with his hands in his pockets.

Sora smiled at his two friends, waving back at them.

_**And look, you've got the girl, and the moody best friend. You found them. Now go spend time with them and have fun. Lots and lots of fun. Hehe, Especially with the red-head. **_

Sora blushed as images from Roxas popped up in his mind.

_Oh god, Roxas! That's disgusting! And besides, I don't even know where to _get _handcuffs..._

"Hey, Sora," said Kairi, walking over to where her brown-headed friend stood.

Outwardly, Sora smiled pleasantly, inwardly he was trying to get the mental images out of his head.

"Hey Kairi, Riku," he said with a nervous chuckle.

_**There's a topless red-head in the ring! Tra-la-la-la-la! **_

_Shut up! _

_**What? I'm just singing. She spins your head right round, right round, when she goes down, when she goes downtown...**_

_Gah! I hate you! _

Kairi regarded Sora with some confusion. He'd gotten this really pained look on his face and his eye was twitching.

"Uh, Sora, you alright?" asked Riku, looking at his best friend with concern.

Sora released a tight, pained smile and nodded.

"Yep! I'm completely fine Riku! Don't you worry about me!" he said with a fake-sounding chuckle. Kairi looked puzzled, while Riku looked supremely unconvinced.

_**Aw, Riku-chun's all worried about you! Hey, maybe you don't have the hots for Kairi! Maybe you wanna get all kinky with the silver-haired wonder over there...**_

_For God's sake! Would you shut up?! They already think I'm crazy! And I thought you were speaking Spanish, now you're speaking Japanese? _

_**Don't knock it 'til you try it! And as for them thinking you're crazy...well, I'll straighten that up with Kairi right now! **_

_What? What are you going to do? _

_**I'm gonna talk to Namine. We can do that we know, because of your bond with Kairi. If you guys really tried, you could probably communicate telepathically, like Namine and I can. **_

_Really? _

_**Yeah. Hold on a sec. **_

Sora let out a sigh of relief as Roxas's presence lessened on his consciousness. He smiled at Riku and gave him a thumbs up. Riku looked puzzled, and Kairi laughed at her friends. Then, a puzzled look flashed across the red-head's face, and her pale blue eyes widened. Kairi turned to look at Sora, her eyes like saucers.

_**Done, and done!**_

Sora groaned inwardly as Roxas returned.

_**Oh, that's cold. I don't think I've ever had a more unfriendly welcome. **_

_Yeah, well, I've never had to share my head with a complete pervert before. _

_**Touché. **_

Kairi giggled, and Sora snapped out of his mental conversation to look at his friend. "Why are you laughing?" he asked, puzzled. Kairi smiled her dazzling smile. "Oh, well, Namine told me some of the things Roxas told _you," _she said, laughing again.

Riku's eyebrows shot up into his hairline and he whipped his head back and forth between Kairi and an extremely red Sora.

"Wait...what? Wait, Roxas...Namine...what? What? WHAT?" exclaimed the normally stoic silver-haired teenager.

_**Oh great, we broke Riku. Now who's Sora gonna get all kinky with?**_

Kairi let out a little snort as Namine relayed Roxas's comment to her. Sora looked at the girl, surprised.

_You can talk to Namine that easily? _

_**Practise, buddy-boy. Practise makes perfect. It'll keep getting easier from here. **_

Riku blinked several times and shook his head.

"Okay, wait. So, you guys can talk to Roxas and Namine?" he said incredulously. Sora and Kairi nodded. "More like _they _talk to _us,_" muttered Sora.

_**Don't pretend you don't like it. **_

Sora winced at Roxas's innuendo laced comment, while Kairi just erupted into laughter again.

Riku looked between his two best friends, feeling very out of the loop.

_Oh god, _thought Sora, _is this what the rest of my 'vacation' is gonna be like? Somebody kill me. _

_**Oh Sora, **_chuckled Roxas, _**enjoy it while it lasts. **_

**Hehe, okay, third chapter! And honestly, I think I had the most fun writing this one! Sorry if Roxas seems waaay OOC, but I haven't played 358/2 days, and I wanted to have some fun with him ;p **

**So, anyways, the next chapter is gonna start the serious stuff. As fun as my fanfic seems now, it's gonna get pretty dark, and the next two chapters are gonna go into that. **

**So I hope you enjoyed the gaiety while it lasted.**

**Please review guys, I wanna finish this story, but once I post the next chapter, I may stop. I dunno, it depends on reviews.... **

**Until next time! **


	4. Mundo Del Perso

**Okay, here's the fourth chapter. This is where the story takes a seriously dark turn. This chapter is going to seem really out of place, because the previous chapters have been so light-hearted, but really, it's a precursor for a lot of bad stuff that's coming up in the future. **

**Please, review after you're finished. I'm putting a lot of hard work into this story and I really would like to hear some feedback. **

***Disclaimer **

**Natcat5 does not own the Keybearer, the Anti-Form, or the concept of unlocking and locking the hearts of worlds. She does own everything else in this chapter though. **

**Mundo Del Perso**

_**Del Perso **_

It was night.

It was _always _night.

The sky was perpetually dark, with a gray overtone that gave it an overcast look and smoky clouds spanned across it menacingly.

The sun had long since forsaken this place, leaving it to the darkness, and the night. The cold, the loneliness; the desolation of the World of the Lost.

Del Perso.

Land of the forsaken.

The place sunlight and warmth had deserted, the place happiness and joy had fled, the place where fear, hate, war, and the Moon now reigned.

Del Perso, home of the Moon warriors.

Home of the Night Order.

Home of the never-ending war between the two tribes.

Home to a fierce struggle over the last light of the land, over the one good, pure thing that the dark place had to offer.

Over its heart.

The War had raged since the heart had first been discovered, deep in the land. The world was darker then, the sky not gray, but pitch black, and the moon continuously waned.

When the first group first found the heart, they were unskilled, unknowledgeable in how to deal with it, and they let out a large percentage of its power, bringing some light to Del Perso. The power lightened the sky to a dark grey, and brought the Moon to its full state.

After it loosed a fraction of its power to the world, the Heart disappeared, moving to another, more hidden spot somewhere in Del Perso.

The light had gone, seemingly never to return, but hope had graced the forsaken people. Hope that it was indeed possible, to save their lost world, and they began searching for the Heart.

But the Heart of Del Perso was powerful, and enticing, and a group of people arose that wanted to use the Heart for their own selfish gains. They wanted to use the Heart to regain the darkness that it had banished, to use it for their own purposes. The wanted the pure night, the endless night, they hated the new bright moon that hung in the gray sky. They wanted darkness, and they wanted it badly.

And the War began.

The people of the new world, who loved the subtle light that had been given to them, were known as the Moon Warriors, a vast kingdom that dominated most of Del Perso.

The people who craved the darkness, and the old world, were the Night Order, who, while their numbers were fewer, had much more power from the darkness that they manipulated, then that of the Moon Warriors.

Both sides fought constantly, while still searching for the Heart, and sabotaging each other's efforts. They both used darkness, and were both filled with hate and wickedness, and the War was evil and bloody, both sides being low on morals and mercy.

And so the War raged on.

And as it did, the numbers of the Night Order grew.

_**Della Luna **_

Pack Leader Alpha stood on the ridge, surveying the lands beneath him with obvious contempt. The ground was dark and scarred, churned up and devoid of life after being the site of countless battles. Trenches and bombed out craters dotted the area, and darker patches of land told tales of bodies that had been left to bleed out on the accursed land.

Much of Della Luna was like this, war-torn and scarred, never to be habitable again. It was what the Moon Warriors got for having so much land, so many more places for the Night Order and their Gattigo to attack them. The Moon Warriors could only protect so much, and they had families, and people they cared about to think of.

Alpha's nose wrinkled as he thought of this. Caring. An emotion so utterly foreign to him it left a bad taste in his mouth as he thought of it. The Moon Warriors were brave and dangerous, but they would never match the might of the Night Order and the Gattigo if they continued to foster such notions as _caring. _

Alpha curled back his lips in a sort of sinister smile.

But that was what the Lupisomra were for. To add darkness and mercilessness to the Moon Warriors, and to match the might of the Gattigo blow for blow. The Moon King, Luciano, had been calling forth Lupisomra for almost a full century, never tiring of pulling the creatures from the darkness to do his bidding. There was talk of how he could no longer do it; that his power had been wasted, and there was a desperate need for the location of the Pe-Lua, the Moon Prince, lest the King fall to weak to lead the Warriors. But Myris had been missing for a year, and the Warriors whispered of him having joined the Night Order. That left only the Sa-Lua, the Moon Princess, who was rumoured to be just as savage and smart as her brother. But could she conjure Lupisomra? For that was what the Moon Warriors needed, more Lupisomra, more Shadow Wolves, to combat the never ending sea of Gattigo, Dragon Cats, that the Night Order commanded.

Alpha's ear twitched as he heard a noise from behind him, and he lifted his nose in the air, sniffing to identify the scent.

_Gaaru, _he thought to himself with moderate interest, _sub-ordinate, but up-and-comer. Still a pup though. Better have good reason to approach me. _

Alpha didn't turn his head as Gaaru padded up to him, not breaking his far-off gaze even as the young wolf stopped and stood directly behind him.

Gaaru lowered his head and tail respectively, looking up at Pack Leader Alpha with wide, admiring eyes that hid a deeper, darker cunning. The Pup waited, knowing it was death to speak to Alpha before being spoken too.

Minutes passed.

Gaaru shifted his feet, impatience making him fidget as he waited for his leader to acknowledge his presence.

Pack Leader Alpha continued to watch the lands below the ridge, but opened his long, tapering black muzzle to speak.

"Pup Gaaru, what is your business with me?" he growled in a deep, throaty, primal voice.

Gaaru raised his head slightly, and then looked at his leader's feet in respect.

"Pack Leader Alpha, Pack Leader Gamma been attacked under the Bone Trees, and Pack Leader Beta pinned down protecting Oca Atura. Pack leader Delta helping Pack Leader Beta's pack, and believed that they will drive off the Gattigo, but Pack Leader Gamma and his pack be slaughtered if they do not receive help," growled the young, dark brown wolf, never lifting his gaze. Pack Leader Alpha remained impassive, his dark eyes narrowing as he peered off into the direction he knew the Bone Trees to be in.

"Pup Gaaru," he growled, "Alpha Pack protects Lacio Della Luna and the Reale Lialaluna. Cannot leave our posts. You know that Pup."

Gaaru shrunk down to the ground, fearing that the Alpha's infamous wrath would soon be released upon him.

"Superior Kejiro sent me. Loss of Gamma Pack be bad. Luciano cannot conjure more Lupisomra, four packs cannot protect Moon Warriors," whined Gaaru, praying to the Moon that Alpha would not turn on him.

Pack Leader Alpha did not reply, but his eyes were narrowed as he considered the depth of the problem, realizing that each moment he took to ponder was precious.

Suddenly, he snapped his head towards the Pup.

"Gaaru," he growled seriously, "Tell your Superior Kejiro to take ten Lupisomra and aid Gamma Pack. Go with them. Fight well, Pup. Pack Leader Alpha is watching you."

Gaaru shook with barely contained pride. Pack Leader Alpha was watching him! He had already made himself known to the great leader Alpha, the highest ranking Lupisomra in Del Perso.

Gaaru nodded his head, still keeping his gaze at Alpha's feet. "As you wish it, Pack Leader Alpha, Superior Kejiro shall rally ten Lupisomra, and I shall join them. Aid Gamma Pack," said the young wolf obediently.

Alpha nodded his head. "Good Pup. Now run."

Dismissed, Gaaru took off running down the hill, towards Lacio Della Luna, where the rest of the Alpha pack was, guarding the palace and the Moon Warriors that resided within it. Time was of the essence, though the formalities necessary in a Lupisomra conversation took a lot of valuable time, they were a part of the Shadow Wolves' makeup, and not something that could be stopped at the drop of a hand. The conversation had taken long, and Gaaru had to make up for that time as he ran to the palace, lest Gamma Pack paid the price.

_**Lacio Della Luna **_

The dark castle stood menacingly in the barren landscape, completely black in colour, with chipped, war-worn stone and crumbling walls. The palace stood for a nation that was being ravaged constantly, without a moment's rest. It stood for a land of destitution and desolation, of hopelessness and fear, of death and constant fighting. It stood for Della Luna, the Land of the Moon, where you had to be a murderer to survive.

Lupisomra surrounded the castle. A score and a half of them roaming the perimeter and another score in the courtyard and in designated areas around the castle.

Kejiro paced back in forth in front of the castle's gates, his hackles raised and his muzzle bared in a terrifying snarl. The other Lupisomra kept well away from him, preferring to patrol as far away from the large, irritable, smoky gray wolf as possible.

_Why he taking so long! _He snarled inwardly. _Gamma Pack dying...slain, Alpha must hurry! Mustn't keep Pup Gaaru waiting...cannot lose Gamma Pack. _

The gray wolf stopped pacing and turned to look up at the castle, specifically at a large tower, where the bedrooms of the Reale Lialaluna were.

_No one but I and the Sa-lua know the seriousness of Luciano's condition...I his personal protector, know of the fits he gets, the times where it seems his mind completely gone...his power is gone, he is nothing but a weak, crazy, old man. Cannot summon more Lupisomra...if we lose Gamma Pack, we are done. We mustn't lose anymore wolves! We cannot replace them! _

Just then, a howl came from a wolf on the other side of the castle. All the Lupisomra tensed, rising onto their large, powerful hind legs. Was it time? Had the Night Order finally attacked Lacio Della Luna?

Kejiro also rose onto his hind legs, his fur bristling as he assumed the true form of a Lupisomra.

The Shadow Wolves usually looked just like that; dark, slightly large, intelligent wolves. But when they rose up into battle form, they were much darker, much more terrifying.

Kejiro stood on his hind legs, towering at a height of eight feet. His teeth had enlarged, and his muzzle with it, leaving him with a face that was all jaw and fangs, teeth jutting out in all directions, glistening with saliva. The canines reached down his jaw, over a foot in length and wicked sharp.

Kejiro's paws had become massive, the pads underneath becoming hard as steel and fortified with enough strength to break a rock. His claws were black, long, and thick, dulled by age and battle, but still sharp enough to rip through twenty men in one strike.

His tail had split into two, whip like extremities, now void of fur and covered in hard, black skin. Spines had grown along his back and onto his head, sharp and menacing.

All the Lupisomra looked similar to this, some with bigger spines, some with longer claws, some taller, some shorter, all menacing, all feral, all completely terrifying.

A Lupisomra ran towards them, still in wolf form, running on all fours from the other side of the castle. He skidded to a halt as he saw his comrades in Fighting Form.

"Night Order?" he growled, standing on his own hind legs. Kejiro growled and stalked towards the wolf. "Don't know. You tell me. You howled?" he growled, his dark eyes narrowed.

The wolf seemed to relax and fell back onto all fours. "Yes. I howled. Gaaru has left the ridgetop and approaching," he growled, lowering his gaze to look at Kejiro's feet.

Kejiro's face remained impassive, but inside, the old wolf was sick with relief. Slowly, he lowered down into his quadruped form.

"Good."

Kiki sat stolidly outside of the Mistress's door, trying to quell the growing impatience within her. The light gray wolf had heard the summons from Kejiro, his howls echoing throughout the castle, but she was required to stay by her Lady's side until dismissed. As Lupisomra, it was nothing less then insubordination to not answer a summons.

Kiki tried to stop from fidgeting and strained her ears for signs that her Mistress was finished whatever it was that she was doing on the other side of the door.

_My lady Sa-lua, _thought the slim gray wolf, _what are you doing? Many packs fighting...Lupisomra making their own decisions...Moon King should be instructing them, in his absence, _you _should be instructing them. Fighting of their own accord...no tactics or strategies...They all be killed. My lady, you must take charge of Della Luna! You are last available member of Reale Lialaluna! (1)_

Kiki shifted her paws, her worry causing her to shift her position uncontrollably. It didn't matter if Lupisomra were killed, they were, after all, here to die in the place of the Moon Warriors, but if they couldn't be replaced, then it was a whole different matter. King Luciano was out of commission, that much was certain, and the Sa-Lua had to be careful and tactful in the way she dealt with the remaining Shadow Wolves.

The door behind Kiki opened.

The wolf leapt to her feet and turned around immediately, head lowered in anticipation for meeting her Mistress.

"My Sa-Lua," she said humbly, staring at the bare feet of her Lady, "Moon Princess Fawn."

A girl of about seventeen stood in the doorway, wearing black cargo pants and a black halter top with silver lining. She was wearing silver and black wristbands, and a silver choker. Her hair was pitch black in colour, and wild and curly, travelling down her back. Her tawny gold eyes radiated menace and cunning far beyond her years.

Fawn smiled at the gray wolf before her, a sinister smile that didn't reach her tawny, gold eyes.

"Kiki, have you been sitting there all this time? Really, didn't Kejiro summon all the Alpha Pack? My, you have been a disobedient little Lupisomra, haven't you?" teased the Princess cruelly.

Kiki continued to cower before her cold mistress, not rising to her words.

Fawn laughed and tossed her black curls over her shoulder. "Oh, well, it's a good thing you didn't go. I haven't dismissed you, and I won't. Come Kiki, we have things to do, let old Greywhiskers get his fur in a bunch over some silly skirmish. I've got a better way to save Della Luna," said the raven-haired girl, re-entering her room.

Kiki's ears perked up at this, and she followed Fawn into the room, hope filling her, with the mention of her princess doing something to help the land.

The large room of the Moon Princess was all black and silver, a gray bed surrounded by black walls and a silver ceiling and floor. A gray desk sat in the corner, with a single, black book sitting on it and a black chair in front of it.

Kiki liked Fawn's room, it being the perfect atmosphere for a creature of shadow.

Fawn walked into the center of the room, confidence and superiority radiating from the girl. Smiling at Kiki, Fawn raised her hands, palms facing the floor.

"I've got a plan Kiki," she said softly, "A very good plan that will save our land. You see, I've been doing some...off-world reconnaissance, with the help of some old friends of mine, and I've discovered something. There is a person out there, a boy, who specializes in finding the hearts of worlds and..._locking them. _Well, I figure that he could be..._persuaded _to _unlock _our world's heart. I know where to find him, and I'm going to get him, with some help of course."

Kiki's eyes widened as she listened to her princess's plan. A boy who could unlock the heart of the world? Where had she gotten this information? Was it true?

Kiki raised her head slightly, but still didn't meet Fawn's gaze.

"My Lady Sa-Lua, this plan sounds like it could work, if the boy could be found and brought back, but surely he must be a being of power if he could unlock the heart of this world. You could not bring him back yourself, and we have no more Lupisomra to spare!" growled the gray wolf realistically.

Fawn dismissed Kiki's worries with a laugh.

"Oh, don't worry about him and me. I've already took a sneaky sneak into his dreams. He sees me as a pretty little girl; with excellent cookies," said Fawn with a sinister smile.

"Anyways, as for needing help...I've got that covered Kiki," said Fawn, her eyes glowing molten gold and a black aura radiating from her palms.

Kiki's eyes widened as black, shadow figures began to rise from the ground.

_I-impossible! _Thought the gray wolf, astounded. _P-princess Fawn...she summoning Shadow Wolves! _

The shadow figures rose from the floor, taken the form of ten black wolves with burning red eyes. These wolves were smaller then the average Lupisomra, and shadows rolled off of them like smoke. (2)

Kiki stared at them in awe.

_They are Shadow Wolves, _she thought, _but not Lupisomra. Simply...Shadow Wolves. _

Fawn smiled evilly.

"See? How could our keybearing friend resist?"

(1) Royal family of the Moon

**(2) Think of Sora's Anti-form **

**I told you the story gets darker here. **

**Sora's in big trouble, Fawn seems to be in a totally different league than past enemies, and her Shadows aren't something to be scoffed at. **

**Please Review guys! Otherwise I may not update for awhile. **


	5. Shadows

**Here is chapter numero five-o! This has actually been my fav chapter to write, and was surprisingly long. So long that I split it in half, and will be releasing part two, as chapter six, in a couple of days. **

***Disclaimer **

**Demyx: Heeeey! **

**Zexion: Hello. **

**Me: Hola boys, so, I assume you know the drill? **

**Zexion: Natcat5 does not own Kingdom Hearts or Square Enix characters, or Disney characters. **

**Demyx: She does own her scary-ass Shadow Wolves though! **

**Me: Thank you boys! **

**Zexion: (ahem) You, uh, promised...**

**Me: Oh yeah! Here's the key to the honeymoon suite!**

**Zexion: Shhhh! Not so loud....**

**Demyx: We're gonna have lots of fun aren't we Zexy? **

**Me: Yes. Lots of fun. **

**Shadows**

A month had passed since the saviours of the universe had returned.

School was starting in less than a week, and the normalcy of the island was a bit disconcerting for Riku and Sora. Waking up, eating breakfast, doing chores again, running errands around the island, and most recently, preparing for school.

Kairi had had more experience with the shock of 'daily routines' and she'd been beside the boys, trying to keep them sane. Every time anyone approached Riku from behind, the dark warrior immediately went into battle mode, barely able to stop himself from summoning Way to Dawn. He'd already tackled most of his siblings, and drop-kicked Tidus half-way across the island.

Sora wasn't quite as volatile, but just as jumpy. He felt slightly scared without Goofy and Donald constantly watching his back, and the fact that he couldn't wear his battle clothes everywhere was making him super-paranoid. The inability to go into a drive or pull an item from his bottomless pockets was nerve-wracking.

Then, there was school.

Riku and Sora had been without a structured education for two years, both of them now years behind their friends and completely unused to textbook learning. The concept of sitting still in a classroom for up to eight hours terrified the boys, more than darkness or Heartless ever had. The situation was made worse by the revelation that uniforms had also been thrown into the equation. At this point, Sora practically broke down in tears, realizing that for five out of seven days, he wouldn't be able to touch his battle clothes. Riku had just hung his head, as if resigned to his fate. Roxas had also voiced his objection, completely averse to being trapped in Sora's head for an entire school day, filled with lessons he'd already learned in his virtual Twilight Town. At that point, Namine had suggested that Roxas used that knowledge to aid Sora, and the blonde boy had whinged that that meant he actually had to pay attention.

Life on the Islands definitely wasn't as relaxing and rewarding as imagined.

Then, of course, there was life at home.

Before he had been sucked away by the darkness, Riku's home life had been less than perfect. His house was small, and cramped, having to house seven people. Riku's father had left shortly after Benj had been born, leaving Riku's mother to fend for herself and her children. Riku had been fourteen at the time, and the departure of his father had left him angry and volatile, making for a very tense home environment, and lots of arguments between him and his remaining parent.

Upon his return, his Mom had rushed into his arms, apologizing profusely, sure that she was the reason he had left. The two of them now got along much better, and the older, wiser Riku was a great help to his frazzled mother. However, Riku was used to freedom, and the right to wander wherever he wished, and being tied down to a large, impoverished family was taking its toll on him.

Kairi and her adoptive father had been constantly at odds since her original disappearance, the latter being infuriated by the fact that his little princess couldn't-or wouldn't-tell him what had happened to her. Now that she had returned after disappearing for a second time, he treated her much better and held his tongue when it came to the question of her whereabouts. There was still a tenseness between them that made Kairi's home an awkward, edgy place.

Sora had always been a wild, playful child, which contrasted greatly with his Father's uptight attitude. The two of them had had constant arguments over the past, whether it be on how late Sora stayed out on the Play Island, or how he conducted himself around others. When Sora first returned, it seemed that the tense environment had vanished, so relieved were the two of them to see one another, but after just a few days, it had returned in full force.

Yamato Mey just couldn't accept that fact that Sora had no memory of where he had been for the past two years, and constantly badgered his son. The observation of scars all over the teenager had done little to rebuke Yamato's argument. Sora's constant denial had fuelled his father's anger more than anything he had ever done before. It got to the point where Yamato had refused to talk to his son, who he said, 'hadn't grown a bit of sense and was still the air-headed idiot he had always been' and would continue to refuse to do so until Sora was willing to tell him where he had been.

Mari Mey did little to stop the arguments, saying that she thought the guys had to work it out for themselves, but inwardly, she harboured a secret fear. The new Sora, the Sora that had returned to her, was not her Sora. He was the not the Sora she remembered, and not the child she had had. The hardness in his eyes, the scars on his body, all made Mari wary of her son, not sure what had happened, and not sure she wanted to know.

Home definitely was not what the Keyblade wielders had thought it would be.

The only thing remotely welcoming and peaceful about it was the Play Island, where the three of them could be themselves around each other, and practise with their Keyblades, and talk of their adventures freely.

_That_ was home.

Another day on the Play Island.

Sora watched fondly as Kairi tried to persuade Riku to let her braid his hair, tugging on the long silver strands playfully, despite his protests. Namine was sitting nearby, chuckling softly at the scene in front of her. Despite his apparent dislike of being corporeal, due to his translucence, Roxas was also out, though the reason was evident, as he lay with his head in Namine's lap, staring dreamily up at her. The blonde girl was absent-mindedly running her fingers through the boy's spiked hair, the two of them being tangible to one another.

A fluttery feeling filled Sora's stomach and automatically, he turned to look at Kairi, now laughing gaily along with Riku. A twinge of jealousy flashed through the teenager, quickly followed by a wave of guilt.

_Stop that, _he admonished. _They're your best friends, both of them. That's all. Just because Roxas and Namine are together doesn't mean that....besides, she probably doesn't even like me that way...._

_**Hey Sora....**_

Sora jumped, startled, as a familiar voice echoed unexpectedly in his mind.

_**Don't freak out you stupid pansy, it's just me. **_

_Roxas? What...., _Sora turned to look at the spot where Namine and Roxas had been resting. Sure enough, the blonde boy was still there, though now, he was looking at Sora intensely.

_**Just testing something out. Seems like we can talk telepathically even when we're not joined. Pretty cool huh? **_Said Roxas telepathically, winking at his Somebody. Sora groaned inwardly, flopping down onto the sand.

_Oh great, now you can torture me even when you're not directly in my head. My life is officially over. I think I'm going to join a convent. _

_**You'd make a very, sexy nun. **_

"Sora!" The Keyblade Master sat up, quickly erasing the horrified expression from his face, and turned to face Riku, who had called out to him.

"Yeah Riku? What's up?" he asked, getting to his feet. Frowning, Namine also stood up, pushing Roxas off her lap. The blonde boy pouted and got to his feet beside his girlfriend.

Riku was staring dourly into the distance, his green eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. Kairi stood behind him, clutching her chest as if in pain, her expression mirrored in Namine's face.

_What's going on? _Thought Sora. _What's everybody-uhnn! _

Sora winced and closed his eyes as a fierce wave of darkness hit him. It wasn't visible, but merely an intense, foreboding feeling that had descended upon the area.

_**Gah...what is that? **_Gasped Roxas telepathically, grimacing in pain.

_Dunno, _replied Sora, _But it's dark, and it's powerful, and it's _coming.

_**Oh geez, we're about to be killed by the Children of the Earth. **_

_Maybe we should...._

_**Yeah. It's not like I'm useful or anything when I'm freaking Casper. **_Said Roxas bitterly, before walking over to Sora and rejoining him in a flash of blue light.

Immediately, Sora felt more powerful, and more whole as his Nobody rejoined him, and he summoned Oathkeeper in his right hand and Oblivion in his left.

_**Hey babies, **_crooned Roxas, _**did you miss me? **_

_Roxas, stop orally making out with the Keyblades. _

_**But...they're my babies! **_

_Which makes it even weirder. _

"Sora." Sora snapped out of his inward conversation and turned towards Riku, who had summoned Way to Dawn.

"Sora," continued the Dark Warrior, "This...doesn't feel like normal darkness...it's...weird." Riku scowled, worry creasing his forehead.

Sora narrowed his eyes in confusion and tightened his grip on the Keyblades.

_Riku looks worried; _he thought to himself, _if he says it doesn't feel like normal darkness, and it's making him nervous...what could it be? What darkness could worry Riku? And besides, the Heartless are gone, Organization XIII is finished...what _is _this? _

_**I don't know but-**_

_Gah!!! _

_**What?!! **_

_Oh...I forgot you could hear my thoughts when I'm not talking directly to you. _

_**...Idiot. **_

_Yeah...sorry. _

_**I mean, you take being a moron to a whole new level. **_

_Yeah...so what were you-?_

_**I've met cheese smarter than you. **_

_Thank you. No you were- _

_**If you played a game of wits against a sponge, my money would be on the sponge. **_

_Roxas! _

_**Sorry, sorry. Anyways, I was saying that Riku is probably more sensitive to darkness than we are, and if he feels a particularly strong, or strange darkness, it's sure to pull more strongly on him than it does on us. He's probably afraid of getting sucked in again. **_

_Oh...._Sora turned to his best friend, a concerned look on his face. _Poor Riku, but he doesn't have to worry, he's got us right here beside him, to help him stand up to the darkness! _

_**That's right! Even if he did attack me, beat me up, kidnap me, and ruin my life! **_

_................_

_**Ignore me, I'm emo. **_

"Sora, what do we do?" Sora ceased his mental conversation and turned to look at Kairi, now joined with Namine, who was staring at him worriedly.

The brunette grinned cockily and lowered himself into a battle stance. "Don't worry Kairi, Riku and I will handle it. You just get to safe-,"

"No!" cried the Princess, causing the boys to jump. "I refuse! I'm not going to be some helpless little girl! I swear, if you make me hide, and then I get back and you've both disappeared to god knows where, I'm going to kill you!"

_**Um, **_said Roxas to Sora mentally, _**how is she gonna kill us if we're not here? **_

_Shhh! Be careful! Namine might hear you and then Kairi will hear and try to eat us! _

"And besides! I'm not completely useless you know; I've got this!" Kairi held out her hand, and in a flash of pink-hued light, her keyblade, Blossoming Light, appeared. Kairi slashed through the air with the Keyblade, causing the boys to jump back. The red-haired glared evilly at her two friends, who cowered before her feminine might.

"Listen you two sexist pigs, you didn't spend the last month helping me train for nothing. When that darkness shows its face, I'm gonna open a giant can of whup-ass, and then, I'm gonna come after you guys and teach you all about just how fair the 'fairer sex' can be!" snarled Kairi, practically purple with rage.

Riku stared at her with his eyes widened, his version of complete shock.

Sora, of course, had his jaw on the floor.

_**Whoa, is it like, her time of the month or something? **_

_I....don't know...._

_**Because I heard girls do some psycho things when they're-, **_

Roxas's thought ended abruptly as a fresh wave of darkness hit the Keyblade wielders. The three teenagers cringed as the air around them grew heavy with a dark mist, and a foreboding atmosphere descended on them.

"S-Sora? R-Riku?" stammered Kairi, all previous bravado vanishing as the dark mist hid her friends from her view.

"Kairi!" called Sora, running forward through the vapour.

Just then, Sora felt a fierce, unpleasant tingling tear through his body and he whirled around, holding Oblivion and Oathkeeper at the ready.

"Who's out there!" he cried. "Show yourself!"

There was a growl from the area in front of Sora, and the brunette frantically waved at the air, trying to dispel the dark mist that was obscuring his vision.

_**It's no use! This is darkness! You'd have better luck trying to see through Riku's fringe! **_Shouted Roxas inside Sora's mind. Sora grimaced and tightened his hold on the Keyblades.

The growling increased.

A piercing scream rent the air.

_Kairi! _Thought Sora frantically, just as Roxas thought, _**Namine! **_

The teenager whirled around, only to be knocked down by a powerful force and pinned to the ground.

"Unh!" cried Sora as his head hit the floor. He felt something sharp digging into his back and a dark presence on top of him.

"GET OFF!" screamed the Keyblade Wielder, arching his back and sending his assailant flying. Sora jumped to his feet and turned to face his attacker.

His eyes widened.

Four pairs of burning red eyes stared at the teen, attached to barely visible shadowy bodies, in the shape of menacing, dark wolves.

Sora took an involuntary step back.

_Are those...Heartless? They don't...they don't feel like Heartless..._

_**I don't know what the hell those things are. Holy shit, what are they? Seriously, what the f(oops!) are they! **_

One of the wolves took a step forward.

Sora narrowed his eyes and lowered himself into a battle stance, holding Oblivion and Oathkeeper at the ready.

Without any warning, all four wolves sprang.

Sora immediately swung out with Oathkeeper, connecting with one wolf and sending it flying backwards. Oblivion stabbed another one through the gut, a shadowy substance leaking out of the creature onto the Keyblade. Sora cried out in pain as one of the other wolves grabbed onto his leg with its powerful jaws, and the other one tore its claws across his chest.

_**Sora! **_cried Roxas, his voice heavy with the pain he also felt.

_Yeah, I know...crap these things are fast...Now shut up. I need to concentrate. _

Sora shook the wolf off his leg and flung the other wolf off Oblivion. The wolf hit the ground, the shadowy substance flowing freely from the wound in its stomach.

Then, it stood up, none the worse for wear. If anything, it seemed bigger, the dark matter from its wound reforming around its body and making it bulkier.

Sora's jaw dropped in shock.

_**What the hell? That just isn't fair! **_

The newly healed wolf snarled and leapt at the teenager and Sora slashed at it with Oathkeeper. Another wolf sprang at him, and Sora raised Oblivion, only to a find a third wolf with his jaws clamped around his arm.

"Aggh!" screamed Sora, shaking it off.

_Okay, that's it, screw animal cruelty, I'm going Final on their asses! _Said Sora inwardly, grimacing in pain.

There was a flash of light, and Sora's mostly black ensemble was replaced with a silvery white ensemble, radiating light and superiority.

With a yell, Sora charged the wolves, floating effortlessly as he raced towards them. Oblivion and Oathkeeper sliced through the air beside him, cutting through a wolf each as they did. Oathkeeper than spun in front of Sora and stabbed a third wolf through the skull, while Oblivion whirled around to dispatch the last, amplified wolf, which had been sneaking up behind Sora.

Sora looked at the prone forms of the wolves grimly, the same black substance flowing freely onto the mist-covered ground.

_**Ick. Okay, they aren't Heartless. As far as I know, Heartless don't bleed tar. **_

_Whatever, it doesn't matter. Where are Riku and Kairi? Do you think they're okay? Gah, the stupid mist's so thick I can't even _hear _them anymore! _

_**Yeah, I'm worried about Namine...she's kind of fragile y'know? Not like Kairi, the Amazon Woman. **_

_Are you insulting Kairi? _

_**I don't know, am I? **_

_Don't do that! You know I confuse easily! _

_**Yes, I do know that. I know that very well. **_

_Asshole. _

_**Konichiwa. **_

Just then, the same unpleasant tingly feeling filled Sora, the same feeling he got whenever an extreme dark presence was nearby.

_Hey..._

_**Yeah, my Roxas senses are tingling too. **_

There was a growl.

Sora barely had time to look down in shock before one of the wolves leapt straight at him, its back paws clawing fiercely at his already injured chest, and his front paws raking his face to shreds.

Sora screamed and fell back, his Drive disappearing as he hit the shadowed ground. The Keyblade warrior just managed to throw his hands up to catch the large jaws of the wolf before they closed around his neck. Sora pushed back, trying to keep the wolf's mouth away from his throat, while still screaming in pain as claws dug into his chest and face.

"Fira!" screamed Sora in desperation.

Suddenly, Sora's hands grew red hot and a blast of fire erupted from each one, exploding into the wolf's mouth and face. The shadow creature flew back wards with a howl of pain, its face consumed in flames.

Clutching his chest in pain, Sora slowly and painfully got to his feet, blood dripping through his hands and down his face.

_**Wh-What did you just do? **_Asked Roxas in awe, staring through Sora's eyes at the burning wolf.

_I....I don't know. I....I think I used a spell without the Keyblade! _

_**.....Dude.....**_

_Hey, shut up! Oh crap, the other three are getting up.... _

Sora grimaced and summoned Oathkeeper, the Keyblades having vanished with the Final Form. He kept his left hand clutched against his chest, blood pouring out of the deep wound.

_I don't think I can do a Curaga..._gasped Sora inwardly; _that Fira spell...whatever it was...it totally drained me of magic... _

Sora's thoughts ended abruptly as the three wolves leapt at him simultaneously. The teenager swung forcefully out with Oathkeeper, slicing two of the wolves in half. He then high-jumped into the air, avoiding the last wolf's attack. Sora landed behind the wolf, swinging the Keyblade in a fierce arc that connected with the wolf with such strength that the black substance flew everywhere.

_**Oh, gross. **_

Sora stared at the remains of the four wolves, breathing heavily as blood poured from his numerous wounds.

_Is...that it? Did I really get them? _

_**I hope so, we're worn out. **_

Sora took a shaky breath and fell onto his hands and knees, the Keyblade disappearing in a flash of light. The teenager shook from pain and exhaustion, made immobile by the stress of the battle. Sora's eyes were closed as he tried to master his pain and he didn't see what was going on around him.

The bodies of the wolves had evaporated into a dark aura that molded with the mist around and the black substance that had flowed from the Shadows' injuries. The materials fused together in the shape of four new, larger shapes, with a thicker claws and longer teeth.

All Sora heard was a soft growl.

But that was all he needed.

The Keyblade Master twisted out of the way as one of the wolves leapt at him, jumping to his feet with a cry of pain. Sora high-jumped as two other wolves attacked, narrowly avoiding their claws. As Sora landed on the ground, the last wolf charged. Once again summoning Oathkeeper, Sora stabbed the wolf through the chest, pulling out his blade and sending the temporarily subdued wolf crashing to the ground.

_**No good Sora. You can keep stabbing them and they'll just keep coming! **_Cried Roxas internally.

Sora slashed at two other wolves, both of them leaping out of the way. The fourth wolf jumped onto his back, biting his shoulder fiercely. Screaming in pain, Sora grabbed the wolf and flung it off, blood oozing from the deep teeth marks from his new wound.

_Yeah...can't fight like this forever..._

_**You know Sora, sometimes running away isn't necessarily cowardly, but a necessity to ensure survival. **_

Sora leapt back as a wolf swiped at his face, backflipping in the air and dispatching two wolves on the landing. He winced as he hit the ground, the impact sending a jarring pain through his body.

_Run away? What about Riku and Kairi? _

_**Riku's not stupid, he knows when he can't win a fight, and so does Kairi for that matter. You're the only one stubborn enough to keep fighting in an impossible situation. **_

_You know, your words hurt me. _

_**Whatever, now run boy! **_

Sora twisted in the air, wind milling around to slice through all four wolves. Their bodies crashed to the ground, along with the teenager's. Sora lay once again on his hands and knees, crippled by the horrible pain wracking his body.

_**Come on Sora! This is your chance! I know it hurts, but you have to get up. If you don't run now you'll never get away. **_

Sora let out a small cry of pain before opening his eyes and standing upright, his face screwed in an agonized grimace.

_Damn...those stupid wolves really messed me up. _

_**Don't I know it, brother. **_

With a shaky breath and a whimper, Sora began to run through the mist, not sure of where he was going, due to his obscured vision, but clear on the fact that if he didn't get away now, he was puppy chow.

**Well that was fun! **

**Okay, sorry for the uber boring part at the beginning, especially after I promised darkness and action. Don't worry, as you can see, it's already started. Next chapter will have Sora and Fawn going face to face, and trust me, it's going to be awesome...**

**Honeys, sweetie pies, honey bunches of oats, be kind, do my heart some good......**

**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Seriously, I have so much fun writing this story, you must have fun reading it. Now tell me how much fun you have reading it! **


	6. Encounter

**Chapter Six! **

**Okay, hehe, I really like this chapter, a lot. **

***Disclaimer **

**It's late, I'm tired, and I wanna post this, so no clever character disclaimers. **

**Natcat5 does not own Kingdom Hearts, Disney or Square Enix. She does own Fawn, Kiki, and the Shadow Wolves though. **

**Enjoy! **

**Encounter**

The cave was dark, hidden deep in the recesses of the island and shielded from the worst of the daylight. It was shrouded in a constant mystery; the walls covered in drawings and writings that scribed and foretold events past and, perhaps, future.

Fawn smiled as she regarded one drawing, nothing more than a child's doodling, close to the cave floor, next to a large, locked door. The drawing was of two individuals, possibly a boy and a girl, though it was hard to tell, the drawings were so crude. They appeared to be exchanging something, a star-shaped object, but who knew? Maybe the artist had meant it to be a heart.

"Lady Sa-Lua," growled Kiki from where she stood beside her Mistress, "Should you have sent your Shadow Wolves to look for Unlocker? They are young and untested...what if they aren't strong enough? Or what if they're too strong and kill him?"

The question was innocent enough, insightful even, but it angered Fawn. The teenager ground her teeth together, clenching her fists.

_That's what everyone thinks; _she growled inwardly, _everyone thinks I'm not good enough. That nothing I do will ever be good enough. I'll always pale in comparison to my Father and Mother and brother. _Fawn winced at the thought of her twin, his cocky laughter ringing in her ears.

_What's wrong, little sister? Being the little failure getting you down? _

In her mind's eye, Fawn could see her brother. His small, but imposing figure, his cunning, violet eyes, and that self-assured smirk, that aloofness and contempt for the world around that made him dangerous and respected.

_Remember sis, whatever I do, however bad or weak it may be, I'll always be better than you. _

Fawn shut her eyes, fighting back tears of rage.

_I'll show them! _She screamed inside her head. _I'll show them all! I'm better than my brother; I'm more powerful than Myris. I'm the Moon Princess, and the heir to Della Luna. I will be respected! No one will doubt me! _

Fawn looked at the slim gray wolf, her golden eyes narrowed.

"Doubts Kiki? You have that little faith in me?" she said darkly, glaring down at her faithful guardian. Kiki shrank beneath Fawn's gaze, her tail drooping and her eyes lowered to the floor.

"N-no my lady," she whimpered.

"I should hope not, because that would displease me Kiki, and a Lupisomra that displeases its master is just dead weight," snarled the Moon Princess. Turning away from her cowering guardian, Fawn walked through the cave, trailing her hand along the rock face.

_I don't care...don't care what she thinks. I'm the Sa-Lua, her master. Her opinions are trivial, her existence is trivial! She is here for one purpose only; to die. That is the life of the Lupisomra, to die for the Moon Warriors. She's insignificant. A pawn. I don't care if she doesn't believe in me...I don't care if no one believes in me. I _will_ be the one to save Della Luna, and restore peace to Del Perso. My Shadow Wolves will bring the Keybearer here, and then, I'll bring him back with me. It's simple, and it'll work. I'll save my world, no matter what everyone thinks of me. I'll show you Myris, I'm not some little kid you can look down upon...not anymore. _

"Don't you worry, Kiki darling," she said, her voice dripping with menace, "My Shadow Wolves will get the Keybearer here, and then..." Fawn smiled, turning her head to face the wolf.

"He's mine."

Sora ran, his face twisted in a grimace as each step sent pain shooting up through his body. The brunette gasped and stumbled, falling onto his hands and knees, sending another wave of agony through him.

_Gah, can't do this Roxas...can't keep running...I'm beat. _

_**Oh no, no, no! Can't you sense them? Those bloody wolves are right behind us! If you stop now your dog meat! **_**We're**_** dog meat! **_

_I know, I know...but I can't go on like this...I don't even know which way I'm running! _

The thick, dark mist continued to shroud the Play Island, obscuring the majority of Sora's vision, and causing him to have relatively no idea where he was going. He no longer felt the soft, sinking sand beneath his feet, so he had to be somewhere away from the beach, near the center of the island, but that was all the Keybearer could ascertain.

Suddenly, an unpleasant tingling feeling began making its presence known inside Sora, and the teenager swore as it increased, heralding the impending arrival of the Shadow Wolves.

_Aw, crap. _

_**Up you get! C'mon! Maybe we'll get lucky and run into a tree!**_

_How is that lucky?_

_**Because then we can climb the tree, duh. **_

Ignoring his Nobody's random, illogical comments, Sora struggled to his feet and continued his laboured run, breathing heavily and wishing Donald was here to cast a Curaga.

Sora ran for what seemed like forever to his tortured body, and soon, he began to notice a change in his surroundings.

_Hey, Roxas, _

_**Yes, honey bunches of oats? **_

_Honey bunches of what?_

_**Never mind. Yes Sora? **_

_....Something's up...I can't see, but it's not the dark mist. I think we're in a cave or something...maybe even our secret place! _

_**Um...is that supposed to be a good thing? That just means those stupid wolves can corner us! Definitely not a good thing. Actually, a rather bad thing. **_

_Well whattya want me to do? Run back that way towards the killer undead wolves?! _

_**I don't know! All I know is that there is a very high probability that we will be in itty bitty pieces before the day is done if something doesn't change right now! **_

Sora gritted his teeth and stopped running.

"Gah! We've only been home for a month! Why are we so totally screwed already?!" he screamed aloud, waving his hands in the air for emphasis.

Sora's voice echoed eerily around the cave, his frustrated yells reverberating for several more seconds. Then, there was silence.

Suddenly, the dark mist began to clear, and Sora's surroundings became clear to him.

He was, indeed, in the secret cave, its familiar chalk covered walls sending feelings of nostalgia through the teenager.

Or, they would have, if it hadn't been for the figure before him.

Sora tensed up and summoned Oathkeeper, crouching down into a battle position.

_**Who is that? **_Asked Roxas inside Sora's head.

Sora narrowed his eyes.

_I don't- _

Suddenly, the brunette's eyes widened, as he fully took in the figure in front of him.

It was a girl, _the _girl, with wild, curly black hair and piercing tawny gold eyes. She stood before him, her arms folded as she watched him with a cunning smirk on her pale face. She was wearing the attire that she had donned during his dream, black cargo pants and a black halter top with silver lining. However, she was subtly different than Sora remembered. Her hair was longer, and wilder, and the childish freckles had vanished from her face. In fact, any and all childish things had vanished from her. The girl before him had a cruel aura that hadn't surrounded the girl in his dream. Still, there was no denying it; this young woman was in fact the one that had crept into Sora's mind a month earlier.

_**Sora? What dream? **_Wondered Roxas, once again listening in on his Somebody's thoughts.

_Uh, just this dream I had when we first got to the island. And this girl, she was in it...her name is Fawn. _

_**Fawn? How do you know that?**_

_I just do. _

_**This is creepy. **_**She's **_**creepy! Look at the way she's staring at you... Oh, yeah, maybe we should...um...**_

_What, talk to her?_

_**I dunno! She's your dream girl!**_

_I don't know anything about her! Except that...in the dream...I chose her over Kairi..._

_**You did what now?! **_

_I don't know! There's something about her...I want to...help her....go with her..._

_**I'm sorry, what now? **_

"Sora,"

Roxas and Sora immediately ended their internal conversation as Fawn softly spoke to them.

Sora narrowed his eyes, standing up out of his battle crouch.

"Fawn," he replied, his blue eyes narrowed. Fawn smiled sinisterly, taking a step forward. Sora tensed, gripping the Keyblade tighter.

"So you know who I am? I thought so, the same way I've had dreams about you...you've had dreams about me," she said softly, her eyes wide as she stared at the brunette. Sora stiffened.

"So what if I have? I don't know who you are, or what you're doing here," he growled, taking several scrambling steps backwards. Fawn smiled again, taking another step forward.

"But you know my name, and I know yours, but this is the first time we're meeting...that's gotta mean something!" she exclaimed, a slight plea in her voice.

Sora winced at the entreaty in her cry, his heartstrings going taut as he remembered the attraction he had felt to her in his dream.

"I-I just know your name. I d-don't know wh-who you are, or what y-you want!" stammered Sora; unnerved by the strong magnetism that was pulling him towards this girl he had only met before in his dreams. Fawn took another step forward. "I know but Sora, as soon as I had that dream I knew...you're the only one who can help me! You're the only once who can save my world!" she cried, running forwards so that she was directly in front of the brunette.

Sora stiffened again and his breath caught in his throat as Fawn came so close to him that their bodies almost touched. His thoughts tumbled around his mind incoherently, trying to form an idea on what was going on and what he should do, but failing miserably under the intense, intoxicating, golden gaze of the girl.

"Sora," she whispered, moving in even closer. Sora scrambled backwards, away from the strange, alluring girl. Fawn continued to advance, until she had the Keybearer pressed against the cave wall.

"Please, I came all this way; because deep in my heart, I knew that you were the only one who could help me...I know it! You and I...please Sora. I know you feel it too," she implored, leaning in so that her face was mere inches away from the boy's.

Sora swallowed, his emotions and thoughts swirling around in a chaotic mess.

"I-I don't...what kind of...why do you need help?" he stammered. Fawn gazed at him sadly.

"My world is dying, the only way to save it is to unlock its heart...after I dreamt of you, I tried to find out who you are Sora. You're the Keyblade Master right? You could find and free our world's heart! You're the only one who can save us!" she cried.

Sora swallowed as he stared into her eyes, conflicting feelings racing through his heart.

He was the Keyblade Master, so it was his duty to help any world in trouble. If Fawn's world needed him, he should go. But there was something about Fawn, something about her golden eyes, and the oddness of her appearance, directly after his painful run-in with the Shadow Wolves, who seemed to have disappeared... Then, there was the fierce, unexplainable attraction he felt towards the girl. A scary, intoxicating feeling that was clouding Sora's thoughts and making him uneasy.

"I-I don't know," he stammered, trying not to get taken in by Fawn's beautiful eyes, and attempting to move away from his pinned position.

Suddenly, Fawn's hands had his shoulders, pulling him down the wall and into a sitting position.

"Please," she whispered, "Don't you feel it? You were _meant _to help me Sora,"

Sora swallowed. "I don't-,"

Sora never got to finish his thought, because at that moment Fawn leaned forwards and pressed her lips against his own.

Any coherent thought that Sora might have had vanished in a puff of smoke as the girl's mouth met his. His eyes closed automatically, and he found himself kissing her back, in a complete daze. Sora lifted his hand to cup Fawn's face, and the girl wrapped her hands around his neck, sliding into his lap. The brunette kissed her passionately, not thinking about what he was doing, just knowing that this girl before him made him happy and he wanted to keep kissing her for as long as he could. And he might have, if it hadn't been for a certain someone.

....

_**Uh, Sora? **_

_..._

_**Soooora,**_

_..._

_**Now Sora, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but there is a strange girl trying to swallow your tongue. She seems to be succeeding. Whether or not this distresses you is debatable, seeing as you seem to be trying to swallow hers.**_

_Hgnnnmmmhhhwha? _

_**I'm glad to see your brain hasn't turned to complete mush. Now, could you do us all a favour and get this horny Succubus off of us?!!**_

_Uhn, hgmmhmwha? _

_**....Remove...your tongue...from her mouth! **_

_What....wait, what's going on? What am I doing?! What the hell? Who am I kissing! _

_**You're asking me? You're the one who's sucking face with her!**_

With that, Sora broke out of his trance and shoved Fawn from him, jumping to his feet and scurrying away, so that his back was no longer at a wall. Fawn looked up at him, surprise and fury etched into her features. "Sora?" she inquired, barely suppressed anger in her voice.

Sora stared at her, unnerved by the easy way that she had managed to subdue him, and scared by the attraction he felt for her, now stronger than ever.

"Who _are _you?" he whispered, his hands falling limply at his sides as he stared at the girl in awe.

Fawn smiled. "I'm your destiny Sora, and you know it too. I need your help, and you're going to help me," she stood up, smiling winningly at the Keybearer, "Because you want to."

Sora continued to stare at Fawn, unable, or unwilling to move, conflicting and fierce emotions rolling through him as he gazed at the girl. He remained transfixed as she walked towards him, his bright blue orbs staring into her intoxicating gold ones.

Fawn raised her hand and ran it along Sora's cheek, rising up to once again kiss him, softly this time. "Please," she whispered against his lips, "Please help me,"

Sora could barely stand; it was like a haze had descended upon the world. All he could see, hear, feel and think about was Fawn. Everything else had faded to a dull roar in the back of his mind. Deep in his heart, he knew this was wrong, that he'd just met her, but the fierce attraction, the feel of her mouth against his own, the way her gold eyes had stared into his soul...it was all pushing his rationality away, telling him that nothing mattered; nothing but Fawn...

_**Kairi! **_

Sora's head jerked back, and his and Fawn's lips separated with a wet pop, startling both of them.

_Huh?! _

_**KairiKairiKairiKairiKairi! **_

_Kairi? _

_**Yeah, remember? The girl you risked your life for, gave up your heart for, currently are deeply in love with...**_

_Kairi...oh crap, Kairi! What am I doing?! _

_**Atta boy! Break free of that dirty Succubus! **_

Sora backed away from Fawn, the haze clearing from his mind as he remembered the red-haired teenager that had captured his heart when they were both little kids.

"Sora?" said Fawn, irritation clear in her voice. Sora glared at her, his head now clear, and he raised Oathkeeper threateningly.

"I don't know what you just did, but it's not gonna work anymore!" he growled angrily. Fawn's eyes widened and a small smile graced her face.

"Oh, it won't, will it? What if I wasn't doing anything?" she said, all innocence gone, a sneer entering her voice. Sora tensed as a weakness swept through his body, the unwelcome feelings of attraction once again entering him. He took an unwilling step towards Fawn...

_**Fight it Sora! Don't let her get inside your head! Remember Kairi! **_

At the mention of Kairi, strength once again filled the Keyblade Master and he jumped back, holding Oathkeeper at the ready.

Fawn watched him with mild amusement. "Hm, I'm impressed Keybearer, I thought I had you. It seems you have some inner strength I didn't know about; you definitely live up to your reputation," she said with a sly smile. Sora narrowed his eyes. "Who are you, really? And what the hell do you want?" he snarled.

Fawn continued to smile, twirling a lock of black hair around her finger. "Exactly what I said. My world is dying and the only way to save it is to unlock its heart. I need to hurry, there are others who want to unlock the heart and harness its power for evil. I don't have the time or the warriors to look for it anymore. I need someone who specializes in finding and unlocking things," Fawn took a step towards the brunette, "I need _you, _Sora."

Sora winced, the neediness in her voice still having a strong affect on him.

_**Sora? **_

_Don't worry, I'm still okay. _

_**Good, 'cause if that Succubus kisses you again I don't know what Kairi will do to you...or what Namine will do to me...**_

"Please," continued Fawn, "You may think I played with your head, but I didn't. The innocent little girl act...yeah, that was fake, but this attraction...I swear I'm not doing it. How _could _I do it? I don't have magic powers or anything. The most I can do is open up a Corridor of Darkness to get me places," she lied, looking down at the floor as if embarrassed.

Sora looked at her, suspicious. If she hadn't been messing with his mind....then what...

"Sora," said Fawn, looking up again. "My home...it's torn by war. The only way to save Del Perso –my home-, is to unlock its heart, and only _you _can do it! If you don't, the land will be consumed by death and suffering, and my people will fall to the Night Order." A tear rolled down Fawn's cheek.

Sora felt a sharp pain lance through him as Fawn began to cry, but he fought the urge to go to her, distracting himself by asking her a question.

"The Night Order? What's that?" he inquired. Fawn looked at him in surprise.

"The Night Order? Well in Del Perso, there are two separate groups. The Moon Warriors and the Night Order. The Moon Warriors want to find the heart to bring light to our land, but the Night Order want to use the heart to plunge our land back into the darkness that it came from. The Night Order is growing stronger daily; my own brother is rumoured to have joined them, and the Moon Warriors will fall if something isn't done soon." Another tear rolled down Fawn's face as she spoke.

"I am the Moon Princess, and my father rules Della Luna, where the Moon Warriors live, but he's grown old, and unstable, and it is my duty to save our land. But I can't do it alone, and I'm running out of time! I need to find the heart!" cried Fawn distraughtly.

Sora stared at the girl, every fibre of his being compelling him to go to the girl, and help her with whatever it was she needed, but the memory of a certain red-head keeping him firmly where he was.

"Fawn," he said softly, causing the girl to take a hopeful step towards him. "I-,"

Just then, a ruckus occurred from the entrance of the cave, causing both Fawn and Sora to tense and fall into battle positions. Sora found himself unconsciously shielding Fawn, holding Oathkeeper protectively in front of both of them. Unbeknownst to him, Fawn smiled cunningly behind him.

_Look at him, _she sneered inwardly, _all he wants to do is protect me. And he says my mind games won't work. This boy is mine. He can try and fight it, but he belongs to me now. Those kisses assured it. _

As she remembered the passionate kisses that she had shared with the brunette, a fluttery feeling filled Fawn's stomach.

_Stop that, _she growled to herself; _he's a tool, something to be used, that's it. I'll use him to find and free Del Perso's heart, than I'll dispose of him! _

"Sora? Sora are you there? It's us, Kairi and Riku!"

A shock ripped through the Keybearer as he heard the voice of his friends and Fawn cursed their bad timing.

_He was almost completely mine! _She seethed. _Well, I won't have those two completely ruining my plans. _

"Sora," she whispered, causing the teenager to jump and whirl around, startled. "Please, I've got to go now, but think over what I've said. Don't tell your friends, will you? Del Perso...well, it's not a nice place, and anyone who's heard of it may not want to help save it. But we deserve a chance at life, at light. Please Sora, remember, Mundo Del Perso, come and help us!" she pleaded. Sora stared at her, his blue eyes wide, the magnetism between him and the raven-haired girl rendering him speechless. Fawn smiled at him. "If you decide to help, just call me, in your dreams, I'll hear you Sora; we're connected," she said softly, reaching out to once again caress his cheek. Once again transfixed by her gaze, Sora stood helplessly as Fawn kissed him on the lips, before releasing him and disappearing into the recesses of the cave.

Just then, Riku and Kairi appeared, both looking the worse for wear, covered in deep slashes and bites.

"Sora?!" exclaimed Kairi fearfully, scared by the numerous, serious injuries on his body and the traumatized look on his face.

Riku and Kairi ran towards their friend, not noticing the ten shadows that slid across the floor, to group in a dark corner of the cave, where a slim gray wolf stood waiting in front of a dark portal.

_Don't really understand what that was all about, _thought Kiki as she watched Sora buckle under his suddenly remembered injuries and be helped out of the cave by his friends. _Surely Mistress Fawn could have just subdued him and brought him back with us when he was weakened? Why play with him? _Kiki sighed as the shadows slid through the portal.

_Who am I to question the Sa-Lua? Am sure she has her reasons, though if I didn't know better,_ Kiki frowned as she walked through the portal.

_I'd say Lady Fawn wanted that boy for a mate. _

**This was definitely my fave chapter! I just love Fawn and Sora interaction! Ooh, this chapter got me all riled up for the story! But, seriously, review people! I'm having uber amounts of fun on this story, and I'd love to hear what you think! **

**Reviewers get to go on a cyber date with the KH boy of their choice! (except Roxas, mine.) **

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p **


	7. Promises

**Hola peoples! Chapter...seven? Yes, it is seven isn't it! Yay! Here, we have the aftermath of Sora's encounter with a certain raven-haired temptress. **

***Disclaimer **

**Roxas:....**_**You....**_

**Me: Oh! Hey Roxas...you're not still sore about me setting Axel on you? **

**Roxas.... (summons Two Across) **

**Me:....Oh....Okay.... (runs away) **

**Roxas:....bitch. Anyways...she doesn't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. She does own her OCs though. **

**Promises**

Kairi turned her head to look at Sora, concern and fear plastered all over her face. Riku, on the brunette's other side, also had his head turned, his face impassive, but his eyes mirroring Kairi's worry. Sora had his arms slung over his two friend's shoulders and was hanging loosely in between them. He was more stumbling then walking, dragging his injured leg across the ground. Riku was painfully aware of the injury on Sora's left arm, as blood was trickling from it down his shoulder. Sora's head was hanging down, his eyes drooping shut, and his wild hair hid most of the wounds on his face, but the gouges on his chest were painfully evident.

"You okay Sora?" asked Kairi fearfully. Sora lifted his head slightly and offered a pained smile to the redhead. "Yeah...just...a little....tired," he said slowly. Riku frowned, looking at the deep gashes all over his friend. "Really? Just tired? Because you look like you might have a painful scratch or two," said the teenager sarcastically and a little bit angrily. Sora glared sideways at Riku. "I'm fine. I just...gotta...rest a bit, so that I can...cast a Curaga," argued Sora, "Besides, you two don't...look so great yourselves. You guys...got attacked to?"

Kairi winced and let out a short laugh. "Yeah, we did. Wasn't fun let me tell you. They weren't Heartless, or Dusks, they were something...worse," said the Princess. Riku nodded in agreement, as Kairi began to explain to Sora what she and Riku had been doing since the mist rolled in.

Three wolves had attacked Kairi, and another three had attacked Riku. But the wolves hadn't been fighting fiercely, nipping them and giving them light, albeit painful scratches, but not giving them any serious wounds. It was more like the wolves had been playing with them, and keeping them busy rather than actually attacking them. The worse wound between the two of them was a deep gouge in Kairi's side, which she had received when the Shadow Wolves had first appeared. Upon hearing her pain filled scream, Riku had rushed through the dark mist towards her, being able to see through it better than his friends. Riku and Kairi had fought their six assailants side by side, Riku dealing with the brunt of it, but Kairi dealing out her fair share of blows.

"Three each...Lucky, I got hit with...four," gasped Sora with a dry chuckle. Riku and Kairi both winced for their friend. "Yeah, and it looks like _yours _weren't just playing around," whispered Kairi, staring at the deep, serious gashes on Sora's face and chest. Sora shook his head. "No...They were pretty...fierce, but...I think they were just...herding me towards the cave...," he said, his eyes getting a far away look in them as he remembered the events that had transpired inside the Secret Place. Riku's eyes narrowed. "Yeah...what was in there anyways? Why did they chase you there? ....When we found you there...you looked pretty traumatized Sora," said Riku darkly. Sora didn't respond, his eyes darkening.

_**Yes Sora, what was in there that traumatized you so?**_

_Don't you start with me Roxas..._

_**What? But seriously, you don't seem all that anxious to tell them what happened...don't you think Kairi deserves to know that another girl was all over her man?**_

_No! And I'm not her man! I don't want them to find out, because _I'm _not even sure what happened...it was so weird...that girl...I don't know why I was so attracted to her...._

_**Because she was a Succubus! That's what they do! They have a natural aura that draws you in! **_

_...You don't actually think she was a Succubus do you?_

_**I dunno! You tell me! **_**You're **_**the one she seduced! **_

_She did not seduce me! _

_**....Don't even lie. **_

_....Okay, maybe she-, _

"Sora?" Sora started as he snapped out of his internal conversation with Roxas, to see Kairi and Riku both looking at him with concern. "Sora, what _happened?_" whispered Kairi. Sora sighed.

"Um, okay, but...can we sit down or something? I'm....kinda...," Kairi and Riku immediately stopped walking and set Sora down on the sand. "Thanks," he said with a relieved sigh, stretching, and then wincing in pain. Kairi sat down beside him, dabbing at his face with a cloth. Sora winced again, and smiled gratefully at the red-head. Riku sat down beside them, rolling his shoulder and gritting his teeth as the motion stretched some scratches on his arm.

"So Sora....what happened?" pressed Kairi, putting down the cloth. Sora winced, not from pain, but from Roxas snidely making comments about where exactly Kairi had pulled the cloth from.

"Um..., oh, yeah, the four wolves attacked and I kept hacking them down, but they kept coming back!" exclaimed Sora, stopping to catch his breath. "Take your time," cautioned Riku. Sora airily waved off his worry. "Don't worry, I'm getting better. I'll be able to cast a Curaga soon," he said with a confident grin. Riku sighed and rolled his eyes, but didn't persist. Sora continued.

"So, um, after they'd hit me pretty hard a couple of times, and I'd managed to...get them down, Roxas suggested that I...get away while they were down....So I ran for it, but I think I went in circles for awhile...the wolves were right behind...finally I ended up in the Secret Place and uh, there was this girl...," Sora trailed off, blushing profusely. Kairi narrowed her eyes. "Girl? What girl? Why was there a girl in the Secret Place? Who was she? What was she doing? What happened?" she growled, leaning in towards Sora threateningly. Riku watched the proceedings, his eyebrows raised in amusement, but secretly, he was just as curious as Kairi.

Sora chuckled nervously. "Um, well she asked me to come help her save her world. She said that I was the....only one who could help her, and then, um...there was a commotion at the....front of the cave and she vanished," said Sora rapidly, stopping only when his injuries caused him to halt and catch his breath. Riku's eyes narrowed. "She was just there? Right after we were attacked by those weird wolf things that chased you into the cave? That's a little suspicious...," said the dark warrior. Sora didn't hear him, however, as he was preoccupied with someone else.

"She asked you for help? That's it? That's _all _she did?" asked Kairi, blue eyes narrowed into little slits. Sora bobbed his head up and down fiercely, wincing as he did. "Yep! That was it! Nothing else! All that happened!" he squeaked nervously. Inside his mind, Roxas was killing himself laughing at the predicament his other was in. Kairi's eye twitched. "You look guilty, I don't believe you," she growled. "Soooo, I'll ask someone else!" she said with an evil grin. Sora looked up at her, puzzled. "Someone...?"

Just then, Namine slid out of Kairi, her hands tucked shyly behind her back and a slight blush on her face. "Uh....," she began bashfully, "Roxas? Can I talk to you?"

All the colour drained out of Sora as he realized Kairi's plan. Roxas materialized beside Sora, an absolutely malevolent look on his face. "Yes Namine?" he answered with an evil grin. Kairi smiled, clearly noting the fear on Sora's face. Namine giggled shyly. "What really happened in the Secret place?" she asked, looking up at Roxas from under her long eyelashes. Roxas smiled, completely taken in by his girlfriend's subtle beauty, and he shrugged apologetically at Sora. "Well, that girl-," he began.

"Roxas!" squeaked Sora indignantly. Again, Roxas shrugged. "Sorry Sora! I can't lie to Nami!" he said with a smile at his blonde girlfriend, who giggled.

"Well, Roxas?" pressed Kairi. Roxas grinned. "Ah, yes. I'll just get straight to the point. That girl did something funky with Sora's head, made him fall completely in love with her in the space of about twenty seconds, made out with him, asked him to help her, made out with him again, threatened him, explained her life story, made out with him _again,_ then disappeared," he said rapidly, with a cheeky wink at his spiky-haired Somebody. Sora glared at the blonde, while blushing profusely.

Riku's jaw dropped, and he stared at Sora in disbelief. Kairi's eyes widened, and she clenched her fist. Roxas held out his hand for Namine. "C'mon, Nami. I think World War Three's about to break out. Let's skedaddle!" he said with a wink. Blushing, Namine took his hand and allowed him to lead her to a spot further down the beach.

Riku, Kairi, and a flustered Sora, all sat in silence.

Sora sat with his head down, his face an unnatural red colour, Kairi's face was even redder, making her look like she was going to explode, while Riku was merely staring at Sora with a mix of surprise, awe, and grudging admiration.

Suddenly, Kairi got up stiffly and left without another word, causing Sora to jerk his head up and stare after her. "Kairi, wait!" he cried, jumping to his feet. With a squeal of pain, Sora crashed back down to the ground painfully. Gritting his teeth, Sora summoned Oathkeeper, and cast a much needed Curaga. "Thank God," he muttered under his breath, than ran off in the direction the fiery red-head had taken. "Kairi, wait!"

Riku watched his friends' receding figures and then turned his head the other way to see Roxas and Namine, farther down the beach, in each other's arms and watching the ocean. The silver-haired warrior shook his head and lay down on the sand.

_Hmph, I need to find a girlfriend before I'm the ever unwanted, 'third wheel'. _

Kairi could hear Sora behind her, but she ignored his desperate cries.

_Stupid Sora, _she thought angrily to herself, _I don't care if he kissed some other girl...three times. Why should I care? He could hook up with every girl on the planet and I wouldn't care... _

Kairi's thoughts trailed off with a sniff, and she increased her speed.

_Stupid. If you don't care, why are you running? _

"Kairi! Kairi, c'mon! Stop!" cried Sora, not to far behind the princess and desperately out of breath.

Kairi cursed internally and once again increased her speed, silently praising herself for training her body so hard over the past month.

_I don't care. I'll run forever. I don't want to talk to him! _She screamed internally, painfully aware of how childish she was being.

_I don't want him to see how much he hurt me... _

"Kairi! Please wait!"

Sora gasped for breath as he saw Kairi run across the bridge to the outcropping with the papou tree. "Wait!" he cried, wincing slightly. The Curaga had healed his wounds....mostly. He could still feel a painful ache in his chest and leg, and running after Kairi had been unpleasant and extremely uncomfortable at best. Letting out a frustrated huff, Sora raced across the bridge, cursing Roxas all the way.

When the Keybearer finally reached the other side of the bridge, he found Kairi, sitting on the bent Papou tree and facing the ocean, a somber, stubborn look on her face.

"Hey, Kairi, why'd you run off like that?" asked Sora, panting as he approached the tree. Kairi didn't respond, turning away and retaining the stubborn pout on her face.

"Kairi?" said Sora, worriedly, jumping onto the tree to sit beside the red-head.

"Go away Sora, I don't want to talk to you," growled Kairi, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. Sora frowned, and looked down at the ground, knowing full well the reason for Kairi's anger. "Listen Kairi..." he began. "I SAID I DONT WANT TO TALK TO YOU!!!" screamed the Princess, pushing Sora off the tree. With a yelp, the keybearer fell to the ground with a thump, where he lay, unmoving. Kairi turned her head away with a snort.

A few minutes passed and Sora didn't get up, remaining face down in the dirt.

Kairi began to fidget, fighting with herself to not jump down and see if he was okay.

_He's just faking, he's just faking....he's trying to get you to talk to him....oh who am I kidding?! _

Kairi jumped down from the tree and ran to the brunette, rolling him over and leaning over his prone form worriedly.

"Sora! Sora are you okay?" cried the Princess. Sora cracked open one crystal blue eye. "If I said no would you talk to me?" he asked with a slight pout. Kairi let out a screech and kicked the brunette in the side. "OW! Kairi!" screamed Sora in agony, clutching his side in extreme pain. Kairi immediately regretted kicking her friend and proceeded to help him to his feet. "Sorry," she muttered under her breath. Sora winced notably. "S'okay, I deserved it..._ow,_" he groaned, staggering over to collapse onto the Papou tree. Looking extremely guilty, Kairi jumped onto the tree beside him. "Sorry," she muttered again. Sora sighed and looked down at his feet. "No, I'm sorry. I should have told you the truth about Fawn..." he said guiltily. Kairi immediately tensed up. "Fawn?" she said between clenched teeth. Sora nodded. "Yeah, Fawn. That's her name. She was the girl....that....um....," Sora trailed off as a blush slowly crept into his face. Kairi's eyes narrowed, but the red-head composed herself and released her emotions in a truly exasperated sigh. "The girl that kissed you...three times," said Kairi dully. Sora nodded solemnly.

There was silence.

Kairi looked to the ground, and made as if to slide off the tree, but was stayed by Sora's hand.

"Kairi, wait," said the brunette softly. "I know what you think, but it's not true. That girl...she kissed _me. _She caught me by surprise...three times. I know that sounds hokey, but it's true. It was weird...I think she was doing something with my head...._she _was weird..." Sora trailed off, a puzzled frown on his face. "But it doesn't matter, 'cause they didn't mean anything! They were just some random kisses! Kairi, I promise you, I'd never _ever _voluntarily make out with a random girl I'd just met. You know that right?" said the Keybearer sincerely, staring into Kairi's bright blue eyes. Kairi blushed. "Yeah, I know," she muttered, her head down as she tried to hide her blush. Sora smiled. Kairi looked up, her eyes glinting fiercely. "You promise you're not gonna run away with that girl?" she growled, somewhat playfully. Sora smiled.

"I promise you Kairi, I'm not going anywhere."

**Ta-da! This chapter is sort of like a filler chapter, so if it was monotonous with not enough dialogue...meh. Tough. Anyways, here we have a nice So/Kai moment and Sora making a cute little promise....will he keep it? Hm... **

**The next chapter will take us back to our fave Succubus, and bring us face to face with one of my fave OCs. I have two of them, but the second one you won't meet for awhile. So the OC you'll meet next chapter will have to be awesome enough for both of them...**

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p **


	8. Reunions

**Okay, my longest chapter yet! And I really had fun writing this, because I got to introduce four new OCs! I only meant to introduce one, and I had no idea that the other three were going to even exist until they found their way onto the screen, but I'm really happy that I have them, and they've given me many great ideas! **

***Disclaimer **

**I basically own everything in his chapter except for Sora, Kairi, Riku (who is ambiguously mentioned) and a certain evil Disney character........**

**Enjoy! **

**Reunions**

Fawn stepped out of the dark portal, or rather, stumbled out of the portal, falling to her knees. Immediately, a fierce growling filled the air, and Fawn leapt to her feet, then cursed under her breath. The Moon Princess had meant to open a portal back to her room, but instead, she now found herself in the courtyard of Lacio Della Luna, surrounded by about a score of Lupisomra, all staring at her with hackles raised and teeth bared. Composing herself, Fawn glared at the wolves, her golden eyes burning. "What are you looking at?!" she spat. "Your Sa-Lua may come and go as she pleases! Return to your posts!" All the wolves started in surprise, and then bowed simultaneously before drifting back to their various stations throughout the courtyard. Just then, Kiki slipped through the portal, along with ten shadows that glided along the ground to rest beside Fawn.

"My Lady," said Kiki as she approached her princess with her head bowed. Fawn didn't acknowledge her Guardian's presence, turning around to stalk back towards the castle, the ten shadows gliding after her. Kiki stared after her princess, and then followed her dutifully, with a barely audible sigh.

Fawn glided up the steps, or rather, stomped up the steps, her anger coming out in everything she did. As she ascended the stairs towards the upper chambers, she banged her hand against the wall, kicking each step and muttering curses all the way. Her Shadow wolves glided fearlessly behind her, mere moving, dark splotches on the steps that followed their Mistress. Kiki walked far behind, her tail between her legs as she padded slowly after her Princess. The slim gray wolf was afraid. Not of the Sa-Lua, but for her. Fawn had always worked hard, constantly trying to please her parents and gain their approval, as well as trying to prove her worth to her twin brother. The young girl had always been put down, constantly being reprimanded and compared to Myris. It took its toll on her, and Fawn had a tendency to take failures hard. She had finally found a way to prove herself, to save Della Luna, and she had failed. It was likely that this wasn't the end, and that Fawn would try again, but for now, the Princess would be greatly angered, and greatly saddened by her failure. She might even...

Kiki closed her dark brown eyes, and shook her head to blot out the memory.

How was she supposed to protect the Princess from herself?

Fawn yanked open the door to her bedroom and stalked inside.

Then she screamed.

Immediately, her shadow wolves rose up from the ground and took their places around her, while Kiki was at her side in flash, on her hind legs and in all her Lupisomra glory. The wolf's eyes widened as she took in the figure before her.

It was a boy, the same age as Fawn, but shorter and of slighter build. He had black hair that spiked in the back and fell in a large chunk over his face, completely obscuring one of his cunning, violet eyes. It was streaked with white, one large stripe travelling down the chunk at the front and the spikes at the back tipped with a silvery white, ivory streaks travelling down the wayward strands that fell around his face. He was wearing dark gray pants that ended just before his ankles, and a light brown shirt, both in frayed condition. He also had on a billowing black cloak, which had a large, bunched up section at the front that covered half his face from view **(kind of like Auron's face mask thing, but without the belt thingies, and attached to the cloak)**. He had bandages wrapped around both his arms, extending only to the elbow on his left arm, but travelling all the way up into his shirt sleeve on the right.

Myris of the Reale Lialaluna, Pe-Lua of Della Luna, and twin brother of Fawn, older by six hours, stood in the center of Fawn's room, arms folded and his one visible eye glinting with cunning and menace.

Fawn composed herself and clenched her fists and teeth, her eyes narrowed into little slits.

"Myris," she hissed, her whole body shaking with rage and a whole cartload of other emotions. Kiki growled menacingly, while sliding her eyes across to her Mistress.

_This is...last thing she needs. _Thought the Lupisomra darkly. _What will this do to her? Nothing good. _

"Hello little sister," said Myris in a silky, dark voice, pushing the front of his cloak down so that the lower half of his face was visible. "It's been awhile."

Fawn took a threatening step forward. "I'm not your bloody little sister! We're twins damn it! You're not _that _much older!" she screeched. Fawn then realized how childish she was being, _already, _and stamped her foot in frustration, tears already forming in her eyes. Myris watched the display of his sister's weakness with mild amusement, though most of his attention was diverted to the large and impressive Shadow Wolves surrounding the girl.

"My, my, my, you _have _been busy! Got yourself a few pets I see," teased Myris. "Although...," the dark Prince frowned, glaring at the wolves with scrutiny. "...they seem to be a little bit off center...,"

_Oh shit. _Though Kiki, casting a worried glance at her Mistress in the silence that followed Myris's comment. _Now he's done it...._

Fawn took a step toward her brother, all previous weakness gone. "What. Did. You. Say?" she growled, one golden eye twitching. Myris leaned closer to one of the wolves, ignoring its menacing growls. "Just look at it! On ear is _much _bigger than the other and the paws are all disproportionate! And what's with that black smoke! _Way _more smoke is rolling off the left side then the right side! What kind of Shadow Wolf is _that? _If you're gonna do something, make sure you-," Myris got no further as Fawn's fist slammed into his face, sending him flying backwards.

"God! What is with you! You're so freakin' OCD! Everything's gotta be perfect with you! It's an illness, you know that? Your freakin' Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a bloody illness! You're insane! Unstable! Mental! A crack pot! You beat me up when we were fourteen because my boobs were disproportionate! And you drowned my hawk because it had a red feather on its left side and not its right! You freakin' nut job!" screamed Fawn, walking over to her brother and kicking him with each outraged comment. Kiki slowly lowered back into her Wolf form and went to sit in the corner with a sigh, sensing World War III was about to erupt.

Myris rolled away from his sister and jumped to his feet, spitting blood out of his mouth. He smirked, wiping blood off his face.

"Are you still sore about that stupid hawk? It was an aberration Fawn, completely off center in every way. One wing was shorter than the other, it had only half a talon on one foot, one eye had a squint...." said Myris, shuddering at the memory. "It was....horrible. I couldn't sleep at night knowing that it was in the castle. As for your breasts..." Myris peered closer at Fawn's chest, the Princess scowling before slapping her brother harshly. "You perv! Don't even think of starting _that _argument again," growled Fawn. Myris rubbed his stinging cheek, than smirked, flipping his large bangs away from his face, only to have them fall back into place.

"What can I say? It's not _my _fault your right boob is _way _to big...you should consider getting that fixed-," this time, Myris dodged Fawn's fist, grinning at the outraged look on his sister's face. Fawn whirled around to face her brother, her face purple with rage. "Ooh, you piss me off so much! And the worst part is, you're such a bloody hypocrite!" she screeched. Myris raised an eyebrow questioningly. "A hypocrite? I don't think so. My clothes are perfectly even, four threads have unravelled on the right leg of my pants, and four have unravelled on the left. My shirt has one spot of dirt on the right sleeve and one on the left. My cloak is perfectly centered; I am proportionate in every way!" exclaimed the Moon Prince proudly. "I work so hard to make sure I am perfectly proportionate; I even have two weapons, perfectly alike in every way!" Myris reached into his cloak and pulled out two guns, holding them upside down with his pinkies on the triggers. The guns were dark gray, with tendrils of black wrapping around them. They each had two barrels, the top one with a large, harpoon like stick jutting out of it. The handles of the guns were wrapped in what appeared to be thick black leather.

Myris looked at his weapons fondly. "Pretty aren't they? I had them made for me when...," Myris trailed off, his eyes glittering evilly. "Well, you can guess when. But the fact remains, I am completely symmetrical! Perfectly proportionate! Perfect in every way! While you..." Myris glared once more at his sister's chest, sheathing his guns within his cloak, "...are not."

This time it was Fawn's turn to smirk. "Is that so? Well then, what about your bandages?" she said, looking at Myris's arms. Myris frowned and looked at the strips of cloth wrapped around his arms, noticing that it extended further on the right arm then it did the left. Panic entered the teenager's eyes. "Uh....,"

"And your hair! You only have giant floppy emo bangs on _one _side, not the other," teased Fawn, her eyes sparkling cruelly. Myris's one visible eye twitched and he clenched his fists.

"That's right...you think you're funny, you psychotic bitch, but guess what? _I'm _gonna be the one who has the last laugh!" he snarled. "You may have guessed, but I am no longer a Moon Warrior; I have joined with the Night Order, and risen in their ranks to become one of their most exalted officers." Fawn said nothing, just clenched her teeth at the confirmation of her brother's betrayal. Myris continued. "What's more, sister dearest, is that because of some ties and loyalties that I still have with those in Della Luna, in this very castle, I know exactly what you and you're stupid Moon Warriors are planning. How do you think we trapped your stupid Beta and Gamma packs so easily? Not all of your Warriors are as loyal to you as you would like to believe," sneered Myris. "The fact is Fawn....." the Moon Prince smiled sinisterly.

"We're going to get the Keybearer first."

With that, Myris opened a portal of darkness and disappeared with an extremely psychotic laugh, leaving behind a stunned Fawn and Kiki.

"NO!" cried Fawn, running at the spot where her brother had stood, falling to her knees and pounding the ground in anger. "Shit, no! He's mine! Mine, mine, mine! Sora's MINE! Dammit, he's mine! Why does he have to take everything? Everything! Everything I've ever had, everything I've ever wanted...he just takes it...," sobbed Fawn, her whole body shaking. Kiki watched her Mistress sadly, realizing that the 'he' Fawn was referring to was no longer Sora.

Fawn ground her teeth together, her eyes narrowed through the tears. "I won't let him. I won't let him take this from me! I won't let him stop me from saving Del Perso! I _will _have Sora. He _will _be mine, and there's nothing that hypocritical asshat of a brother can do about it!" vowed the Princess, rising to her feet with new purpose.

Kiki watched with interest as Fawn marched over to her desk and began to flip through the black book. Finally, the teen stopped on a well-worn page, with a drawing of a large black dragon contained within what appeared to be the body of a witch. There were a few words above and below the picture, which Fawn quickly read before taking a deep breath and spreading her hands wide, palms facing upward.

"Te liamo," she began, her palms glowing a sinister black colour, "Oscura Strega, kaaran partito. Weken, ven en mio aiuto! **(1)**"

A dark smoke began to swirl around the princess, swirling faster and faster until it began to take form beside the girl, turning into a large form swathed in dark clothing. Fawn lowered her hands as the form took on a more solid shape, though it was still transparent. She looked at the form through narrowed eyes, her arms folded across her chest. "Hello," she growled, "Maleficent."

Maleficent turned to look at the girl, contempt clear in her eyes. "Ah, yes. Princess Fawn. You have summoned me again. For what reason? I told you all you need to know to get the heart of you world; what else do you want from me? Unless of course," the witch smiled cruelly, "you failed."

Fawn narrowed her eyes, but, for once, didn't rise to the bait. "At our last meeting, you told me that Sora, the Keyblade Master, would be able to find the heart of this world and unlock it. You also told me that I wouldn't be able to force him to do it, that he would have to do it willingly," she recalled. Maleficent nodded. "Yes. The boy's heart is his strongest weapon. It's impossible to force him to do anything he doesn't want to. Your only chance is to win him over," she said, scowling at some past memory. Fawn nodded. "Yes, and I tried too. It seemed to be working...but there was something...something was stopping me...something got in the way!" screeched Fawn in anger. "Something was blocking the Keybearer's heart from me, something was protecting his mind. Something _you _didn't tell me about," she growled. Maleficent raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Is that so? Well, I don't-," a though suddenly struck the witch, and an amused smirk graced her face. "What?!" demanded Fawn. Maleficent regarded the teenager with contempt once more and laughed.

"Oh, nothing. I just know what –or rather, who- is protecting the Keybrat's mind." This time, Fawn raised an eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips impatiently.

Maleficent smiled. "Fawn, are you familiar with the concept of Heartless and Nobodies?" she said. Fawn rolled her eyes, tapping her foot edgily. "Pretty much. A Heartless is created when someone's heart falls into darkness, and if the person was strong-hearted, then a Nobody is created out of the empty shell," recited the Princess. Maleficent nodded. "That's right. Well here's something I bet you didn't know; Sora once turned into a Heartless."

Fawn jerked her head upwards, her eyes wide in disbelief. Even Kiki, sitting silently in the corner, let out a little gasp at this.

"Sora? Are you serious? I was only around the kid for a couple of minutes, but he was as pure and bright as a sunny day...darkness is not his forte," said Fawn, shaking her head in disbelief. Maleficent smiled again. "Yes, that's true, but Sora plunged his own heart into darkness to save his little Princess; that Kairi brat."

Fawn flinched at the mention of Sora's 'little princess', then chided herself for caring. Why should she care about Kairi? Sora was going to be hers soon anyways. If Maleficent ever got to the point.

The Witch continued. "Of course, it's quite obvious that Sora's an extremely strong-hearted person, so a Nobody was created when he did this; Roxas."

Fawn's eyes narrowed in confusion. Roxas? Who was that?

Maleficent sighed. "Of course, it was too much to ask that the Keybrat would _stay _a Heartless. Oh no, his little Princess brought his heart back into the light! So, now, for the first time ever. A Nobody existed at the same time as its other. As you can guess, that threw both Sora and Roxas for a loop, and in the end, Roxas returned his existence to Sora," said the witch.

Fawn blew out a sigh, not understanding what Maleficent was getting at.

"That's great. Whoop-de-doo for Roxas. What does any of this have to do with what was blocking Sora from me?" she said impatiently. Maleficent narrowed her eyes. "Would you shut up and listen? Stupid, insolent girl. Just because Roxas rejoined Sora doesn't me that he's disappeared! It's his presence that is blocking Sora from you. It's his voice that is most likely stopping Sora from trusting you completely. Your charm won't work on Roxas, because officially, he doesn't exist. If you want to get to Sora, you need to get rid of his Nobody," said the dark witch. Fawn's eyes widened, and then narrowed again as she considered Maleficent's words. The Dark Princess nodded.

"Very well, I understand. Thank you Maleficent," she said with a nod, before once again raising her hands.

"Walnium jums, Oscura Strega! I release you, Dark Witch!"

A flurry of darkness surrounded Maleficent, and the witch's form began to dissolve and evaporate into the darkness. The darkness swirled faster and faster, diminishing in size as it did, until it had disappeared completely.

Kiki slunk out of the corner she had retreated too when Myris and Fawn had begun their heated argument, moving to stand beside her Princess.

"My Sa-Lua," began the Lupisomra hesitantly, "What now?" Fawn pursed her lips, deep in thought. "Well, we can't let the Night Order get their stinking paws on Sora. And, more importantly, we can't let Myris beat me. So we'll have to make a move soon. I think I'll take a walk in Sora's dreams, make sure he's still loyal to me, in case that hypocritical asshat shows up on Destiny Islands. In fact...." Fawn smiled sinisterly, her eyes brightening as she was struck by an idea. "I think I'll let that OCDing little freak get there first!" Kiki looked at her Mistress, eyes wide in alarm. "My Lady?" she said worriedly. Fawn laughed. "Don't worry, Kiki darling, I'm not losing my mind. In fact, I think I may have come up with the best idea I've had in years!" exclaimed the Moon Princess. Kiki narrowed her eyes confused. Fawn smiled down at the slim gray wolf.

"Oh, Kiki. Myris can kiss my ass."

Myris stepped out of the dark portal; still seething inwardly at his sister's biting comments. The portal had opened up near the entrance of a large cave. The cave was filled with weapons; swords, spears, shields, mace, javelins, bows, arrows, pikes, rapiers, claymores, lances, cudgels, axes, and many others. The cave was in a large cliff face that extended for almost a mile in each direction, more caves dotting the cliff face every few metres. Outside the caves was a camp, filled with dying fires and tattered tents, a few battle weary men sitting in front of the coals, shivering in the perpetual night.

_Pathetic, _thought Myris, observing his surroundings. _Of all places, that stupid portal opened up here? In the dregs of the Night Order? I'm going to have to walk back to the Main Camp, and I'm not going to enjoy it one bit. Hmph. Maybe Koru had the decency to get a Gattigo to give me a ride. But I doubt it, that wolf's a complete moron..._

Myris's thoughts trailed off with a sigh.

_Still, I'm one to talk. I was sent to Lacio Della Luna to see if Fawn new anything else of interest about the Keybearer, but my stupid emotions got the better of me. Damn that psychotic bitch! Maybe if her breasts weren't _so _disproportionate-_

"Master Myris!"

A large, dark brown Lupisomra with a large throat sack and a thick overlying of fur in front of its small brown eyes bounded towards the traitor prince. Its tail was wagging as it approached its master, its tongue hanging out of the side of its mouth comically. Myris simply sighed at the sight of the over-exuberant wolf. "Please Koru, try to conduct yourself with _some _sort of decorum," reprimanded the Dark Prince. Koru grinned sheepishly and bowed before his Prince. Myris simply sighed once more. Lupisomra were usually unfeeling, uncaring fighting machines, but Guardians, Lupisomra assigned to a member of Reale Lialaluna, were made with some inkling of caring, so that they would grow attached to their wards and fight harder to protect them. Kejiro and Kiki, his father and sister's Guardians, were prime examples. They were extremely protective and concerned about their masters' well being, but were still fierce killing machines, compassion towards anyone but their Masters completely non-existent. Even with that one emotion, Guardians were still largely unfeeling. Feeling no happiness, or extreme sadness, only rage, and care for their wards.

Then, there was Koru.

Myris wasn't exactly sure what had gone wrong with the dark brown Lupisomra, but it was quite obvious that Koru was not like the other wolves. For one, he was happy, _all the time. _Not only was happiness a completely foreign emotion to the Lupisomra, but in a land like Del Perso, where death, despair and war ruled all, happiness to even those who could feel it was extremely rare. To find someone like Koru, who found joy in everything he did, was unheard of. Perhaps it was due to the joy he always felt, or perhaps it was just another problem that had arouse in his summoning, but Koru acted more like an overgrown puppy than a wolf. He chased his tail, ran with his tongue streaming out of his mouth, and loved belly rubs more than life itself.

Myris might have murdered the happy-go-lucky pup within the first five minutes of their meeting, had it not been for Koru's skill in battle. The Lupisomra was a powerhouse, ploughing through enemies like they were nothing, and emerging with barely a scratch. To him, killing and murdering was a delightful game, one that he excelled at. Nobody would think that happy little Koru was a deluxe killing machine that liked nothing more than the feeling of warm blood on his paws and muzzle, but Myris had learned quickly that what the wolf lacked in tact and decorum, he made up for in pure savagery.

"I'm glad you're back, Master Myris. How did your meeting with Princess Fawn go?" **(2)** asked the wolf, his eyes twinkling behind the thick curtain of fur. Myris let out an hmph. "She's still the crazy disproportionate overly-hormonal bitch she always was. Though she seems to have gained some more power...she's summoned some Shadow Wolves. A more primal, less evolved version of the Lupisomra. They seem weak, but still, I'm impressed with her. To be able to summon ten of them....well done little sister," Myris smiled. "Unfortunately, I was unable to discover anymore information on the Keybearer; my emotions got the better of me. That stupid bitch pisses me off so easily...." Myris ground his teeth together. Koru smiled, tongue still hanging out of his mouth. "Don't worry Master. I'm sure we'll be able to grab the Keybearer with the information we have! He can't be _that _powerful, and we have me! And twenty Gattigo-," here the wolf scowled momentarily, before smiling once more, "-plus twenty men! It'll be a cinch grabbing the Unlocker! Then we can unlock the world's heart and....." Koru grinned sinisterly, his eyes glittering with bloodlust. "Then the world will be plunged into darkness! And war will be _everywhere. _There will be killing, lots of killing, blood, blood, _blood! _It'll be great! Ooh, Master, I want to go and kill something! Can I go and kill something? What about that guy over there, can I kill him? Can I rip him to shreds? I want to just tear him apart and rip out his lungs and intestines and spread them _all _over the place. And his blood will be _everywhere! _It'll just be _everywhere! _Oh god Master, I hope we go after the Unlocker soon! A whole new place! With a whole new bunch of people to _murder! _New blood, new blood, new blood! Maybe, I can bite the Unlocker, just a little, and rip him to shreds...little bitty shreds....but just little shreds, so he can unlock the heart, and then there will be darkness, and war...."

"I get the point Koru," said Myris with a sigh, now used to his Guardian going on about blood, death, and entrails. Koru giggled and rolled over onto his back. "Rub my belly Master?" he whinged, looking up at Myris through his thick fringe of fur. Myris scowled, turning and walking away. "Get up you fool. We have to get back to the Main Camp. God, you're annoying. If you weren't so proportionate I'd have to break your neck," growled the dark prince, meaning every word he said.

Koru giggled once more and rolled back onto his feet. "Yes Master! Back to Main Camp! What will we do when we get there?" asked the wolf, practically bouncing as he followed the traitor prince. Myris smirked. "We'll tell them that we should go ahead and nab the Keybearer. There's no more information we can collect at this point. We know more than even Fawn now. We know of every inhabitant on his little island, and we know who the most dangerous are. In fact..." Myris looked back at his Guardian with a smile. "If I know the Dark Lord, he'll send his little pets after the Keybearer, which means we'll probably get stuck fighting the dark one, with the silver hair. Koru frowned, and then smiled. "But...we can kill this one right? We can't kill Unlocker, but we can kill the silver-haired dark one, right? I can rip him up? And get his blood all over? And roll in it until I smell like it for days and _everyone _knows I killed him? And tear out his heart and lungs and stomach and intestines and everything in between and leave them _everywhere? _And I can take what's left and gnaw on it and gnaw on it until there's nothing but bones? Can I Myris? Please?" whinged the bloodthirsty Guardian. Myris smiled and nodded. "You can do all that and so much more Koru. You can do what you did to that guy I didn't like, the one who only had one eye; disproportionate aberration. Remember what you did to him?" he asked. Koru smiled at the memory, saliva dripping from his jaws. "So...much...blood..." he growled, his eyes misting over as he recalled the event. Myris too couldn't help grinning widely at the event. There _had _been a lot of blood. A lot of the weaker men had been sickened by it. But not him, nor had the other captains. They had all derived a sort of sick pleasure from seeing someone's head being slowly ripped off their body while the victim was still alive and screaming...

Suddenly, Myris froze, as did Koru. Koru lifted his nose in the air and smiled. "Don't worry Master, it's just Nexa and Kaamii **(3)**," said the wolf with an excited grin. Myris scowled. "Great, the last thing I wanted was to have to hitch I ride with The Dark Lord's little pet and her mangy cat," he spat.

Just then, Nexa and Kaamii arrived.

Kaamii was a large black cat, resembling a panther, with small, folded, leathery wings on her back, and large, erect, triangular ears. Her fangs dropped far below her jaw, and her paws were huge. She was a Gattigo, in its Cat form.

Atop of Kaamii sat a girl, appearing to be about fourteen. She had dead straight, light blue hair that fell to her waist, and was as pale as a ghost. Her lips were pitch black, as were her eyes and nails. Her nails were also long and curved like claws. She wore a long, flowing sapphire skirt, and a black camisole bra. In one hand, she clutched a whip, with a jagged spike on the tip.

As she grinned at Myris and Koru, she revealed wickedly, sharp, pointed teeth.

"Myyyyyris!" she cooed, jumping down from Kaamii. "You're back! Yay!" Nexa glided over to where the traitor prince stood stiffly, Koru glaring at Kaamii from where he stood beside him, though his tongue still hung out of his mouth comically.

Smiling, the blue haired girl stood on the tips of her toes so that she was at eye level with Myris, and then proceeded to run one of her nails along the side of his face, leaving a trail of blood behind. "Myris honey," she purred, "You were gone for awhile. People thought maybe you'd deserted us to go back to your precious _Moon Warriors!" _Nexa's voice curled into a snarl as she ended her comment with a fierce slap, leaving five deep gouges on Myris's cheek. Koru immediately began to growl, but Myris waved his hand off handedly, while pressing his other hand to his wounded cheek. "I wasn't gone _that _long Nexa. In fact, I wasn't gone that long at all!" he said, seemingly unperturbed by the injury the girl had caused him. Nexa laughed. "Yeah, I suppose you're right! I guess it was just me that thought you might have betrayed us...." the girl grinned sinisterly, before winking. "Oops."

Kaamii sighed from where she stood, shifting her feet impatiently. "Come Miss Nexa, the Dark Lord will want to hear Myris's report. We should return to the Main Camp," growled the large cat. Nexa giggled and grabbed Myris's hand, digging her nails in tight as she pulled him towards Kaamii. "You heard her Myris, sweetie!" she cooed. "Gotta hurry and get back! We're all anxious to go and get the Unlocker; you're all that we've been waiting for!" she exclaimed. Myris winced in pain, feeling blood running down his palm where Nexa's nails were piercing him. "Don't worry Nexa; Fawn had nothing new to offer us. We're ready to face the Keybearer, and take him for our own!" exclaimed the Dark Prince, ignoring the pain in his hand as Nexa pulled him up onto Kaamii. Koru walked to stand beside the Dragon Cat, flexing his muscles in anticipation. Kaamii snorted at his antics. "Don't even think about it dog. I've got passengers; I'm not racing you now."

Koru looked up at her forlornly. "Why nooooooot?" he whinged.

"Shut up Koru!" snarled Myris. Nexa turned her head to look at Myris, who was sitting behind her. "Aw, you're so grumpy Myris! Loosen up! We're off to pillage an Island! We're going to murder all its inhabitants and steal its precious Keybearer! Look happy!" she wheedled. Koru howled in agreement, fired up at the mention murder. "Come on Kaamii, let's head back to the Main Camp and tell them that the attack can begin," purred Nexa. Kaamii nodded and bounded forward. Koru followed her after a moment, howling about how she had cheated and started before he was ready.

The men that had been sitting at the campfires continued to sit there, oblivious, trained to ignore the exchange between Captains and officials. So well-trained in fact that it really was as if Myris, Nexa, Kaamii, and Koru had never been there.

**This was just so awesome! (In my opinion) I hope people weren't too freaked out by Koru and Nexa...actually I hope you guys were really freaked out by them! I love Koru, because his little homicidal daydreams are really fun to write, and I have some plans for Nexa in the future. You're also going to find out what I meant by her being The Dark Lord's 'little pet', and who the other 'little pets' are. **

**Btw, Myris and Fawn may be crazy beings of darkness who are as evil as Jason and Freddie's evil demon spawn, but they're still siblings, and therefore, squabble like siblings. **

**Oh, can you guess who I modelled Myris's character after? Well, some aspects of Myris's character. First one to guess, will get a sneaky sneak at an upcoming uber awesome event....**

**(1) I summon thee, dark witch long departed. Awaken, come to my aid! **

**(2)He has the voice of a really young boy, which makes his homicidal speeches all the more creepier. **

**(3)Pronounced, Ka-ahmee-ee **

**Please review, because this chapter was based solely around my OCs, and introduced new OCs, I'd really like some feedback. What do you think about the characters? **

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p **


	9. Father Forgive Me, For I Have Sinned

**Hoo boy, this chapter came out of nowhere! I was working on another KH fanfic, and then all of a sudden, I was working on another chapter for this one! It just completely came out of the blue! I hope you guys like it, because honestly, the lack of reviews for the last chapter got me a little down...I really liked the last chapter...but apparently, you guys didn't...oh well! I guess this one will just have to impress you guys more! Though I still say the last one was better. **

**Btw, I couldn't figure out how to double space between paragraphs, so from now on, **

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

**That will mean a break between paragraphs, capichee? **

***Disclaimer **

**Me no own nothin', cept my wunnerful OCs! And the plot o' course! **

**Forgive Me Father, For I have Sinned**

_A barren landscape, desolate, devoid of life, war torn and battle scarred, and marked with deep furloughs and permanent bloodstains that were an everlasting testimony to the countless number of lives lost here. _

_A lone castle stood against the landscape, decaying and decrepit, with starving, pitiful people cowering at its gates, calling for salvation to whomever dwelled within its walls. _

_All around, wolves roamed, howling and growling, encircling the impoverished civilians, while fierce soldiers marched back and forth. The soldiers were in horrible condition, weak, starving, injured, but still marching. _

_In the distance, fierce, horrifying creatures could be heard, screeching and yowling, and sending the civilians into a panic. A loud, commanding voice rang out, and a figure appeared on one of the castle walls. The man was imposing, swathed in a black cloak, with only the wisps of a silvery, scraggly beard poking out. He called out words of command and encouragement to the disparaged people, but was largely ignored as the horrible screeching increased. _

_Suddenly, scores of terrifying creatures, some hybrid between a dragon and a jungle cat, rose from the ground, surrounded by fierce warriors, shrouded in shadows. This army charged at the pitiful people around the castle gates, barely deterred by the desperate soldiers trying to stop them. The wolves, too, tried to halt the attack, but were ripped to shreds at the claws of the horrific dragon cats. As the charge hit the castle gates, the leader fell from the ramparts, inwards, into the courtyard. In his place stood a teenage girl, with wild, curly black hair, and desperate, golden eyes. _

_Sora found himself beside her, watching the terrible battle below with wide blue eyes. _

"_What's happening?" he whispered, turning to Fawn. Fawn looked at the brunette sadly. "My world is dying Sora, the Night Order is winning. Soon, all my people will be dead....," the girl trailed off sadly, squeezing her eyes shut as the anguished screams of the soldiers and civilians below rent the air. _

_Sora was shaking, never before, in his long, battle-scarred career, had he heard such pain, such suffering, such _death.

"_Why....why is this happening? Why are all those people dying?" demanded Sora, barely able to keep the sob out of his voice. Fawn opened her eyes and looked to the brunette once more. _

"_They want the heart of our world, to harness it for darkness! The Moon Warriors, my people, we're trying to stop them but....more and more people are crossing over to the Night Order...and now..." Fawn fell silent as she looked down at the massacre below. Sora shivered and closed his eyes tightly, feeling like he was about to throw up. "Why....why are you showing me this? What do you want me to do? How am I supposed to fight...." the brunette trailed off as the memory of a fierce Dragon cat tearing apart a man and his young children crept into his mind. Sora took in a hitched breath, shaking visibly; his eyes still clenched shut, the tears snaking out from under his eyelids. Fawn mirrored Sora, breathing through barely suppressed sobs and shaking, though her eyes were open, as tears ran down her cheeks. _

"_Sora, the Moon Warriors need to find the heart of this world before the Night Order does. Then, we can bring light to Del Perso, instead of darkness," whispered Fawn. "What does that have to do with me?" asked Sora, his eyes still tightly shut. Fawn grabbed the Keybearer's hand, causing him to open his eyes in surprise. "Sora," said Fawn seriously, "You're the Keybearer, you're job is to lock and unlock things. I also know that you usually have a sixth sense about when you're near the heart of a world...you could find ours, and set the light free! You could save Del Perso...please," Fawn's voice broke into a sob as she said the last word, staring into Sora's eyes pleadingly. The brunette's heart twisted uncomfortably and he felt himself nodding. Fawn smiled, and then frowned. "But beware Sora, the Night Order are coming for you too. They want to use you for evil. Especially watch for my brother, Myris. He may try to trick you, but he only wants to do you harm...like he's done me..." she whispered, lowering her gaze. Sora's eyes widened in alarm. "What do you mean? What's he done to you? Fawn!" The brunette began to panic as the world around him began to fade into mist, Fawn included. "Fawn! Wait, stop!" he cried frantically. Fawn stared sadly after him. "You can't save me Sora; all you can do is save my world," she whispered as she faded into darkness. "Please, Sora! Save Mundo Del Perso! You're our only hope!" _

_Sora searched anxiously Fawn, as she had completely disappeared into the mist. _

"_I promise Fawn!" he cried out, as he fell back into darkness, "I promise!" _

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Sora's eyes snapped open and he sat upright with a gasp. The brunette was in his bed, in his room at home on Destiny Islands, sweat soaking his shirt and his whole body shaking. Sora took in a hitched breath and wiped his hand across his face, feeling tears stinging the corners of his eyes.

_Sh-shit..._he thought, shaking even inside his mind. _What...what _was _that? _

_**What was what? **_

Sora jumped and let out a little shriek as Roxas interrupted his private thoughts.

_**Whoops. Forgot you had the memory of a goldfish with Alzheimer's. Let me start again. Hello. I am Roxas. Your Nobody, who shares your head. Sometimes I talk to you, usually when you don't expect me too. **_

_I know who you are! _

_**Do you? 'Cause sometimes I have to-**_

_Shut up! I'm not in the mood for you right now. _

_**Ouch. What's eating you?**_

_I don't want to talk about it right now. Just leave me alone would you? And could you leave or something? I have to think about stuff, and I'd rather you not be breathing down my neck. _

There was silence in the Keybearer's mind.

_**Okay. **_Said Roxas, his voice sounding small and somewhat hurt. The blonde's presence vanished quickly from Sora's mind, leaving behind an eerie silence that the brunette wasn't used to. Sora winced, sensing that he'd hurt his Nobody's feelings, but pushing the thought aside; he had way too much on his mind already.

Sora shivered as he remembered the vivid dream he had had.

_Was it a dream? _He wondered in his mind. _It...It was so real...I could _smell _the blood...._

Sora trailed off, closing his eyes tightly and suppressing a whimper as the details of the dream came back to him. All the screams, all the _death..._

"Sora! Sora honey! Are you up? Breakfast's ready!" The cheerful voice of Mari Mey broke through Sora's sombre thoughts, jerking the teenager back to reality. Sora shook his head to clear it, and slid off his bed, pulling on the gloves that sat on his bedside table.

"Coming Mom! Let me just get dressed!" he called, poking his head around his bedroom door. Sighing, Sora shut the door and turned around to face his room.

There wasn't much to it. A bed, a dresser, a bedside table with a lamp, and a window beside the bed. The bed was in shambles, the dresser had clothes hanging out of each and every door, and the bedside table was a collection of half-started drawings and frustrated scrawls. Sora smiled as he looked at them. It had been a surprise when he'd found himself taking a liking to drawing, thinking that was more of Namine's thing, and Kairi's as a result. But the brunette loved drawing, especially when he was frustrated about something. He didn't think he was any good, but Roxas thought he was great. The Nobody was the only one who knew about Sora's drawing, as the teenager was a little bit embarrassed about it. Right now, the drawings on the bedside table were all half finished sketches of Fawn. Some of them consisting only of her wild curls, others centering on her golden eyes, and a few portraits, all rough and unfinished. Sora had drawn most of them last night, after his encounter with the girl that day. _That _had been strange enough, and then to have that dream....

Sora once again shook his head to clear it and set about choosing an outfit for the day. The brunette sighed as he looked at a drawer bursting with dress shirts and ties, a forewarning of the school days looming on the horizon. Another drawer contained a couple of t-shirts and shorts, while another drawer held two pairs of jeans, but Sora didn't feel like any of those today.

The Keybearer fell to his knees and reached under his bed, pulling out his black, blue and red ensemble; his battle clothes. Sora smiled as he laid them out on his bed, a thousand memories coming to surface along with the outfit. With a sigh, knowing World War III was going to break out as soon as he left his room; the teenager took off his pyjamas and slipped into the battle clothes.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Mrs. Mey was humming softly as piled pancakes onto Sora's plate, pushing about ten of them into an unorthodox heap. She put the pan in the sink, and then proceeded to drench the pancakes in syrup and whipped cream. Mr. Mey, sitting on the other side of the table, looked at the mound in disgust. "Mari," he began sternly, "I don't think Sora needs-,"

Just then, the teenager in question strolled jovially into the kitchen.

Mr. Mey shut his mouth firmly, turning to glare at his son. Mari gasped and dropped the two bottles she was holding. "Good morning!" said Sora, happily, but nervously. He turned to the heap of pancakes sitting on the table. "I hope those aren't all for me," he said with a chuckle, but meaning every word he said. Since his travels, Sora had become more health conscious and aware of what he ate. He couldn't afford to get fat; what if he needed to fight again?

Mari ignored his comment and stared with obvious annoyance at her son's attire.

"Sora," she said seriously, "What are you wearing?"

Sora sighed, having anticipated this argument the moment he had pulled the outfit from under its hiding place under his bed.

"Mom, you _know _this is my favourite outfit, and I don't wear it that much anymore! It's kind of like my lucky charm...I dunno, I just really felt the need to wear it today," said the teenager, glancing at the door that led to the outside world. It was true, he felt uneasy about something. Maybe it was just yesterday's events, or the dream he had had, but something was making him feel insecure and antsy, and these battle clothes were the closest thing to reassurance he had.

Mari frowned. "I don't get why you like it so much; black isn't your colour. You _never _liked black. I don't even know where you got that thing.....neither do you, for that matter," she said, casting her eyes downward.

There was silence in the kitchen.

Sora looked down at his shoes, not knowing what to say. It's not like he could tell them that his clothes were magic, made by three fairies at the request of a powerful wizard.

Sora sighed. "Look Mom, breakfast looks...uh...delicious, but I'm not hungry. Maybe I'll have some later. I'm going to run over to Ri-,"

"You'll do no such thing!" bellowed Yamato Mey, standing up and banging his fists on the table in rage. Mari leapt back with a frightened squeak, but Sora just stared at his Father evenly, his blue eyes narrowed. "Why not? I'm going to school next week, I want to enjoy the free time I have left," said Sora calmly, never breaking his Father's gaze. Yamato seemed taken aback by Sora's boldness, and his calmness. His voice rang with authority, power and fearlessness...Mr. Mey still couldn't get used to this, this Sora who stood up to him without whinging like a child and throwing out petty insults. This Sora who faced him like a man. He didn't know where he'd come from.

Frankly, he scared the crap out of him.

"Why not!" shouted Yamato, "Because I said so! I'm your father! And you spend way to much time with that Riku boy anyways! His family's got enough problems to do with without you breathing down their necks! And I don't want to see you running off with Kairi either! I don't know what you've spent the last two years doing, but now, you're going to buckle down and start taking some responsibility! You can't spend your entire life flitting about like a child!"

Sora's eyes narrowed, and his hands clenched into fists. "Dad," he said softly, "I can guarantee that I know more about responsibility than you ever will. I know the responsibility of having the fate of millions, _billions, _trillions, resting on your shoulders. I know what it's like to have the fate of those you hold most dear in your hands. I know more responsibility than I hope either of you have to deal with. So don't patronize me, I deserve some off time. And what's with you suddenly talking to me? Weren't you shunning me or something?" Sora's voice curled into a snarl as he glared at his stunned parents.

Mari stared at her son in shock. Who _was _he? Who was this mature stranger, and what had he done with her little boy?

Yamato stared at Sora in a stunned silence, his blue eyes, almost as vibrant as his son's, wide and enraged. "Wh-why, y-you!" began Yamato, shaking with rage.

"Stop!" cried Mari, surprising both her son and her husband. "Just stop! Stop yelling! You guys are father and son! Act like it! Sora, you are not going to Riku's or Kairi's. You know why? Because you're going into town with your father! We need groceries, and the two of you are going to go and get them, _together. _And you better get along and are speaking to each other –not yelling- when you come back. Or so help me God I'm kicking the both of you out!" screeched the normally docile woman.

Sora and Yamato stared at Mrs. Mey in shock, and then turned to look at each other grudgingly.

"Out!" cried Mari, grabbing the still warm frying pan from the stove and brandishing it threateningly.

She didn't have to tell the guys twice.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Yamato walked down the street sullenly, holding the shopping list that had been thrown at him attached to a very pointy fork. The list said: _milk, soap (Dove), apples, oranges, celery, green peppers, whole wheat bread (for Sora), pancake mix, eggs, cheese, yogurt _

Yamato snorted and tucked the list into his pocket. Sora looked up at the noise, but then quickly returned his gaze to his feet. Yamato glared at his son, unable to read his thoughts, his face obscured by the crazy mane of brown hair.

_I've told him at least twenty times to cut it, _he thought irritably, _but does he ever listen? Does he listen to _anything _I say? I'm his Father! I know what's best for him! Even if he doesn't think so..._

Yamato turned his head away from his son, hiding the utter frustration in his eyes.

_I wish I knew why he was so different though....I don't buy the bullcrap about him and the other two forgetting everything; neither does anyone else on the island. What do they take us for? ....I wish he would just _tell _me what happened. Does he not trust me or something? I'm his Father...if something happened; he should be able to tell me..._

Sora walked beside his father, oblivious to the turbulent thoughts plaguing the man's mind. He had enough to think about himself.

_Jeez, this is the last thing I need! Why does he have to be so difficult...he still sees me as an insolent child...I'm _not. _I wish I could tell them....oh well. I've got enough stuff to worry about. Like that dream. Was it real? Did that....did all those people really....I don't even want to think about it. If it was real, than I have to do something...ugh! I hate this! See, this is what I meant...Dad doesn't have any idea about the weight I have to carry as the Keyblade Master. Hm, on another note, can I really trust Fawn? She was acting really weird when I met her yesterday...and those wolves....in the dream, they seemed to be fighting on her side...does that mean the wolves that attacked us were hers? Speaking of the attack, what was with that Firaga I did? Without the Keyblade! Ugh...as if I didn't have enough on my mind...and Roxas hasn't come back yet. I kind of miss him; he'd be able to cheer me up right now...I hope I didn't upset him too much...._

Sora's thoughts trailed off, and as they did, an unpleasant tingling sensation filled his body.

Sora stopped walking.

_No....the last time I felt this...._

Yamato stopped walking as well and turned to face his son, confusion and irritation clear on his face. Sora didn't even acknowledge him; he was looking around frantically.

They were in a crowded marketplace, filled with stalls and people. The market was set up on a street, the main street that ran through the island. There was a never ending flow of people, as most of the people on the Islands had found that today was the perfect day to go shopping at the market.

"Sora?" said Yamato, annoyed at having had to actually talk to his son. Sora was standing completely still, shaking under the force of the unnerving tingling wracking his body.

_Shit, _he thought nervously, _what's happening? What is this? What's going-_

Sora's thoughts were interrupted, or rather, answered.

A dark foreboding mist covered the marketplace, less thick than the one that had covered the Play Island the previous day, but still dark enough to instil fear in the people gathered.

Sora's eyes narrowed, and he fought down the urge to summon the Keyblade, aware of all the people around and most importantly, aware of his Father.

In the middle of the crowd, a huge corridor of darkness began to formulate, sending people scurrying backwards, screaming in terror. All the mist flowed into the corridor, restoring visibility, but enlarging the portal. People backed away, retreating hastily from the huge aberration that had appeared in their peaceful home. The Island Police approached it warily, already making plans for a barricade.

Then, they appeared.

The first one was a girl, with pale blue hair that fell to her waist and frighteningly pale skin. She was dressed scantily, in only a black camisole bra and a flowing sapphire skirt. She grinned at them with wickedly pointed teeth, her pitch black eyes wide and sinister. She cracked the whip she held in her right hand, brandishing the claws on her left.

The next one was a boy, with curly, blood red hair that fell to his shoulders in cherub like ringlets. His eyes were also black, as were his teeth, which had two large fangs that fell down past his lower lip. He was as pale as the girl, and was dressed in tight leather pants and a tight leather vest.

The last one to appear was another boy, smaller, and frailer than the others. He had dark purple hair that spiked downwards, falling past his shoulders **(1), **and was as pale as his two companions. He had long, black nails like the girl, and sharp, black fangs, like the other boy. His eyes were hidden by his large bangs and he was dressed in black shorts and a black tank top that ended far above his midriff, fingerless black gloves on his hands.

There was silence.

The girl walked forward smiling eerily, her teeth glittering. "Hi!" she said cheerily, "I'm Nexa, and that's Froxe..." she pointed to the red head, "and he's Paxle." She pointed to the purple headed boy.

The people began whispering to each other. Who were they? How had they so mysteriously appeared? What was that black vortex? What was with their strange appearance?

Sora narrowed his eyes. Nexa? Froxe? Paxle? Were they Nobodies?

"What do you want? And where did you come from?" said the Police Chief, John Kent. Nexa giggled. "Ooh! You're being rude! Be careful or I'll have to get Paxle to teach you some manners!" she said with menace. The Police chief seemed taken aback. "Of course," continued the girl, "I could teach you myself, but I won't. You're not worth my time. In fact, you're not worth Paxle's time either! The only person who _we're _gonna tango with is...." The girl paused dramatically, and then winked at the crowd.

"The Keybearer."

Sora gasped and his eyes widened. He recalled Fawn's warning from his dream.

"_...beware Sora, the Night Order are coming for you too. They want to use you for evil..." _

Sora swallowed nervously. Where was Roxas? And for that matter, where were Riku and Kairi?

A ripple of confusion went through the assembled people. Keybearer? What was that?

Kent frowned and took a step towards the trio.

"I'm sorry, we don't know what you're talking about," he said. Nexa raised an eyebrow and looked at her companions. Paxle made no move, standing completely still, his eyes still hidden from view. Froxe shrugged and a grin spread across his face, revealing even more of his long canines. "I dunno Nexa. We know the Unlocker's here. Maybe they're just being stubborn; don't want to give up their precious little Keybearer. We should just tear 'em all up until we find the one holding a sword that looks like a key," he said, fingering one of his ridiculously long teeth. Nexa giggled. "I agree completely! I hate talking!" The blue haired girl snapped her fingers, and immediately, scruffy, dangerous looking men came pouring out of the portal, followed by about a score of huge, mutated cats.

The Island people screamed and began to run away, only the policemen holding their position.

Yamato swore under his breath and began to back up, stopping only when he saw that his son hadn't moved an inch.

"Sora!" he hissed, "Come on!"

Nexa smiled at the fleeing people and the stubborn policemen. She raised her hand, signalling the warriors behind her. "Atta-,"

"STOP!"

Everybody froze, turning simultaneously to face the spiky haired brunette who had cried out.

"Sora!" said Yamato in alarm. Nexa smiled as she heard this. "Sorrrra," she purred. "That's right. You're him right? The Unlocker? Lucky us! That wasn't hard at all! Come here pretty boy, before I sick my friends on all these looovvvvely people," she drawled, beckoning him with a single, long nail.

Stiff faced and ignoring all the people staring at him, Sora walked forward, pausing about two metres away from the three newcomers.

Froxe looked him up and down, his eyebrow raised. "Hmph. Not much are you? Well come on then, let's see it! The Keyblade! Prove you're him, or all these people are going to be little red smears on the pavement!" he snarled.

Sora's eyes narrowed and he raised his hand. In a brilliant flash of light, Oathkeeper appeared. There was a collective gasp from the onlookers, and Yamato looked like his eyes were about to bug out of their sockets. Nexa and Froxe stared at it with pure longing in their eyes, grins on both their faces. Paxle remained impassive.

"Good," purred Nexa. "Now that that's settled, why don't you come with us? Before we have to blow somebody up. That little girl over there looks nice. Don't you think she'd look good splattered all over the ground?" she said sinisterly, meaning every word he said.

Sora was practically shaking. Never had he felt such darkness coming from _anyone. _Not even Xehanort, nor Xemnas, had radiated such evil. He didn't want to go with them, every part of him was screaming at him, to _not _go with them....

Sora turned his head, looking around at all the people gathered, all looking frightened and confused. His gaze rested on his Father, who was looking at him with complete disbelief.

Sora sighed.

_I'm sorry Kairi, Riku, Roxas, wherever you are, I'm sorry. I'm sorry Fawn, for playing right into their hands after you warned me...and I'm sorry Mom, and I'm so sorry Dad, that I didn't get a chance to explain...I'm so sorry. _

The Keybearer took a deep breath, and began walking toward the dark triplets.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

**Ooh! Epic cliff-hanger! **

**Okay, I've been majorly neglecting my other stories, so I'm going to work on them for awhile, unless, by some blessed miracle, people actually start reviewing this bloody thing. Seriously, reviews are like chicken soup for the author's soul! And I'm seriously deprived (sulks in corner). I won't withhold chapters, especially on a cliff-hanger like this, but I have other stories, and I won't update this one for awhile, especially with school coming up. So if you want to see what happens next, then click that bloody green button! **

**(1)If you've ever watched Yu-gi-oh, think of Bakura's hairdo, only dark purple. **

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p **


	10. Chained

**We is on chapter 10, correct? Yes, yes we is. Awesome! **

***Disclaimer **

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, Roxas and Axel would be married. I do own my OCs though. So no stealy my Myris-kun! He's totally mine! **

**Chained**

Riku sighed, watching his five siblings tumbling about in front of their small house. Yori and Kole were chasing each other around in a never ending game of tag, Maki watching them, looking like he desperately wanted to join in but felt himself above it. Allis was watching little Benj scamper about, trying to play with the twins, but mostly falling down and giggling a lot. Riku smiled as he watched them. He had barely given his family a single thought on his journeys, and now he was realizing just how much he had missed in his absence. Little Benj was walking and talking; when Riku had last saw him, he'd still been in a crib. Yori and Kole were almost eight, and already in school, no longer the five year old mischief makers their brother remembered them as. Allis was now almost in charge of the group, the ten year old acting as the mother figure in her Mom's constant absence, and Maki now considered himself all but grown up, being less then a year away from becoming a teenager.

Riku sighed again. He'd missed so much, and his family was so _poor...._

Right now, the children were playing in front of a tiny two room house with a broken roof and doors and windows that hung off their hinges. Their house was right on the oceanfront, so that their mother had easy access to the boat that she used to fish for a large majority of their meals. But because of that, cold sea breezes were constant, making the house almost unbearably cold. The yard was simply a small plot of half dead weeds in front of an extremely rocky area of beach, with an unsteady dock built on a higher area of ground.

Riku sighed once more, placing his hand on his cheek. "Are you okay big brother?" inquired Allis, walking over to sit beside her brother on the rotting porch step. Riku smiled and ruffled the ten-year-olds curls. "Yep. I'm fine little sister, don't you worry about me," he lied. Allis stared up at her brother, disbelief plain in her pale, gray-green eyes.

Suddenly, a deep feeling of dread began to manifest itself inside the Dark Warrior, and a horrible chill began to creep up his spine. Riku's eyes narrowed and he leapt to his feet, startling little Allis.

"Riku?" said the girl, standing up as well. Riku ignored her, turning to the four children in the yard. "Maki! Yori! Kole! Get inside right now! Allis, grab Benj. Lock all the doors and windows and hide under the table!" commanded Riku sternly, fighting a rising panic for his siblings as the foreboding feelings got stronger and stronger.

"Riku? What's wrong?" asked Maki, slightly irritated. "It doesn't matter! Just get inside now!" shouted Riku, feeling the telltale aura of darkness closing in on the area.

Yori's eyes widened. "But wh-,"

"Just shut up and go inside! Stop asking questions and do what I say! And don't make a sound when you get in there! Just run in, lock up, hide and shut up!" yelled Riku desperately, causing his siblings to stare at him in shock...and fear.

Quickly, Allis grabbed Benj, the three year old protesting as the little girl pulled him into the house. Yori and Kole were right behind her, practically bowling her over in their mad rush to get away from their angsting brother. Maki walked slowly behind, turning his head to glare at his brother. "Bossing us around and yelling like that...you're no better than Dad," growled the twelve-year-old, before disappearing into the small, decrepit dwelling, the door slamming shut behind him.

Riku winced, Maki's words wounding him deeply. Then, the Keyblader pushed the thoughts out of his mind, and summoned Way to Dawn, letting his mind fall into the cool, collected state that it took on during battles.

Suddenly, a billowing dark vortex opened up in front of Riku, and the teenager narrowed his eyes, praying that his siblings would stay in the house.

The darkness stabilized into a Corridor of Darkness, and within seconds, two figures had emerged.

Riku regarded the two figures, shocked by the amount of darkness that they were exuding. One of the figures was a large wolf with shaggy brown fur and a comical expression on his face, the other was a teenager, short and slight in build, but radiating menace.

Riku watched as they approached, the Corridor disappearing behind them.

The wolf bounded forward, sniffing the ground and air in front of the silver-haired teenager. Riku bristled and took a step back, causing the wolf to giggle shamelessly.

"Ooh, Master, is that him? Is that the dark one with the silver hair? Well, teehee, obviously he's the one with the silver hair, seeing as his hair is silver, but is he the _dark one _with the silver hair? Oh, probably, 'cause he looks all dark standing there with his sword like that. Oh! He has a sword! Oh, look, he's ready! Master Myris, this is going to be fun! This is going to be really fun! I can't wait to-,"

"For the love of all that's holy, SHUT UP!" screeched Myris, whacking Koru over the head. The wolf let out a short yelp, before falling silent, though his tail still wagged furiously as he stared at Riku with gleaming, eager eyes.

Riku was unnerved by the sheer _hunger _in the animal's small, dark eyes, staring at him with savage longing, drool dripping from his large jaws, teeth glinting. Koru had taken a step forward, glaring at Riku, a smile on his muzzle.

"Who are you? What do you want?" said Riku, raising Way to Dawn threateningly. Myris laughed and smirked. "Well, you didn't beat around the bush did you? My name is Myris, the Pe-Lua of Della Luna. That means I'm the Moon Prince, in case you didn't get that," he said condescendingly. Riku growled, hating the situation more and more with each passing moment.

"This pup over there is Koru," continued Myris, gesturing towards the wolf by his side, "And we are here to...engage in a battle with you." The traitor prince bowed deeply. Unbeknownst to Riku, as he bowed, he pulled his weapons out from under his cloak. With a smile, Myris straightened up.

And fired.

Riku barely had time to react as a storm of dark magic pellets rained towards him.

"REFLEGA!" he shouted, raising his keyblade just as the dark pellets reached him.

Immediately, a barrier of dark magic surrounded the teenager, burning up the bullets before they could hit him. The shield dissipated, a few wisps of darkness remaining in the air where the pellets had disintegrated.

Myris smirked, brandishing his guns in their usual position; upside down with his pinkies on the triggers. "Ooh, nice. You blocked it! Not a lot of people can do that. Point to you I suppose," said Myris with a shrug. Suddenly, the Dark prince once again sent a hail of dark bullets at Riku, who again, immediately cast a Dark Reflega and blocked them. Riku's eyes were narrowed as he lowered Way to Dawn.

"What do you want? What are you doing here?" demanded the silver haired teenager.

"Hm, you blocked them again. Nice reflexes and you've got magic too. Don't see that to often in Del Perso..." said Myris, half to himself, completely ignoring Riku.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" shouted the Keyblade Wielder angrily. Myris turned back towards the Dark Warrior an amused expression on his face. "Are you? I hadn't noticed. Hm, oh this is so troublesome. I don't _want _to fight _you_. I want to fight the Unlocker, but the Dark Lord's stupid pets get to have their fun with him. It's so unfair! Ugh, I just have no motivation to even _try _and fight," said the traitor prince with a melodramatic sigh. Koru looked up at his Master, smiling. "Then can _I _fight him Master?" he asked eagerly, his tale wagging. Myris sighed and waved his hand offhandedly, turning to look at Riku with half-closed, violet eyes.

"I suppo-,"

Myris froze, his gaze locked on Riku's arms, his eyes wide in shock and anger.

"Master?" asked Koru, his body lowered into a springing position, his whole being quivering with the anticipation of leaping at Riku, but held in check by the need for his Master's permission. Myris growled, tensing up and raising his guns threateningly.

"You!" he spat. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know what you've done, you insufferable aberration!" Myris was practically shaking with anger, his eyes burning. Riku raised an eyebrow and looked around, then turned his gaze back to the Dark Prince. "You talking to me?" he said finally, raising his other eyebrow.

"Yes I'm talking to you, you filthy, disproportionate ingrate! Who else is so horrifically off-center as to rock the very foundations of this world!" he snarled angrily. Riku frowned, and turned to look at Koru, who was still frozen in his about-to-spring position. Then, he turned back to Myris. "Care to elaborate?" he asked snidely. Still shaking with anger, Myris raised one of his guns and pointed at Riku's left arm. "Your arms! Your f(oops!)ing arms! Your left arm has an armband, but your right one doesn't! It's unsymmetrical! It's horrible! An aberration of unparalleled proportions! You've disrupted the very fabric of this world! How could you do that! How could you be so blatantly disproportionate! How could you mar your otherwise perfectly proportionate outfit with such a....a....a....such an aberration! It's diabolical! It's unforgivable! It's a crime on humanity!" ranted the traitor prince.

Riku slowly looked down at his arms, bewildered by Myris's sudden outburst. "I'm...sorry?" he said, bemused. "Sorry?" squeaked Myris, his voice rising several pitches, "Sorry?! That's all you can say you insufferable bastard?! You completely disregard the rules of symmetry and perfect harmony and all you can say is sorry? That's it! Koru, go, I don't know, scout the area or something. This disproportionate aberration is _mine._"

Koru whimpered and rose up out of his springing position, sulking as he moved away from the soon-to-be battle area. "I never get to have any fun," muttered the Shadow Wolf sullenly.

Myris moved closer to Riku, brandishing his guns. The silver haired teenager raised Way to Dawn, his eyes narrowed as he sunk back down into a battle position. Myris smiled eagerly, though his eyes still burned with rage as they took in Riku's unsymmetrical appearance. The Dark Prince raised his guns and Riku tensed, prepared for another hail of dark pellets.

"Oh don't worry," said Myris as he saw Riku tense, "I'm not doing _that _again." The traitor prince grinned sinisterly before lifting his weapons high and shouting: "Original form! Kasumi! Nila! Come Free!"

A dark purple aura surrounded the guns, and they began to change shape. The lower barrel flipped backwards so that it joined the back end of the top barrel, as did the handle, and the whole thing grew longer. The harpoon grew in size as well, the three spikes on either side growing into wickedly sharp blades. The barrel tightened around the stick, so that they melded together, and the trigger grew to become a new handle.

"Riku, the Dark Warrior, wielder of the Way to Dawn Keyblade, I am Prince Myris, and these are _my _blades, Scura Kasumi and Scura Nila, Dark Mist and Dark Night. Prepare to die at their hands!" snarled Myris, holding his reformed weapons at the ready. The Dark Prince drew back his left arm, and then whipped it forward, the harpoon bit at the front of Kasumi whipping out, a spiked chain streaming behind it. Riku barely had time to dodge out of the way before the spike hit the spot where he had stood a moment before. Riku did a backflip as Nila came at him from the other side, the spiked whip narrowly missing his head. As the teen landed, he raised Way to Dawn to deflect Kasumi's attack, and then jumped out of the way of Nila, casting a Dark Firaga at Myris. The Prince jumped out of the way and sped forward, whipping Kasumi at Riku, who jumped to the side. However, the Dark Warrior didn't move fast enough, and the chain, covered in small spikes, wrapped around his leg.

Riku howled in pain and sent another Firaga at Myris. This one managed to skim the Prince's right shoulder and Myris yelped, dropping the weapon in that hand. Kasumi immediately retracted and returned to its sword state. Riku stumbled out of the way as the chain left his leg, gritting his teeth in pain. Myris swore under his breath and sent Nila flying directly at the teenager's chest, but Riku quickly parried the spike with Way to Dawn. He then sent a Thundaga directly at the weapon, electricity running down the chain to its wielder. Myris screamed in agony as electricity ripped through his body and he dropped Nila the chain retracting into the main body of the weapon as he did.

With a yell, Riku charged at Myris, running at him full speed. Myris snarled, picking up Nila and Kasami, and holding them at the ready.

_**CLANG!!!! **_

There was a massive clangy sound as Way to Dawn hit Kasumi and Nila, Myris having crossed the two weapons to protect himself. The two sprang apart, and Myris jabbed forward with Kasumi, sweeping around the other side with Nila. Riku parried Kasumi, and roared in pain as Nila slashed his side. The silver haired teenager fell to the ground, and then rolled out of the way as Myris plunged both his weapons down.

Riku stood up shakily, holding his side, which was gushing blood. Feeling his strength beginning to leave him, he raised Way to Dawn, deciding to cast a healing spell.

"Cura-AUGHHHH!!"

Riku bellowed in pain and dropped Way to Dawn as Myris released Kasumi and sent her flying towards the Keybearer, the spiked whip plunging into the warrior's shoulder.

Riku fell to his knees, the harpoon still embedded in his body, the three blades on the right side of it deep in his shoulder, hidden from view, while the blades on the other side protruded grotesquely. Blood oozed from the holes formed by the three jutting blades, while blood began to pool under the Warriors skin from where the other three blades were tearing up his insides, creating large, unsightly red blotches on his shoulder and upper arm.

Riku shook, the ache worse than anything he'd ever felt before. Besides the obvious pain of having a metal spike and six blades rooted in your shoulder, there was also a fierce, unbelievable painful burning sensation, like the whole weapon was on fire and burning Riku wherever it touched him. The wounds on his side and leg were also burning, but not as terrible as his shoulder.

Riku gasped as Myris yanked the chain, pulling the spike. However, Kasumi seemed lodged in his shoulder, the blades scraping his shoulder blade and arm bone. The Dark Warrior roared in pain, causing Myris to laugh sadistically.

"Aw, poor Riku! Can the big bad dark warrior not take the pain!" sneered Myris, his words curling into a snarl as he once again pulled on Kasumi. Riku's next bellow of pain was bone-chilling, a guttural cry so filled with agony that Myris couldn't help but wince. Still, the Traitor Prince felt no sympathy for the tormented teenager, harbouring a deep hatred for Riku, due to his unsymmetrical outfit. Myris was certain that the Dark Warrior was getting exactly what was coming to him, and felt nothing but pleasure as he watched blood pour out of Riku's side and ooze out of his shoulder and leg.

However, Myris was completely unprepared for what happened next.

The door of Riku's house banged open, revealing four very angry Riku-clones.

"Riku!!!!" they all cried, running towards their injured big brother. "No! Stop! Go back and hide...," said Riku hoarsely, his voice tight with pain and barely rising above a strained whisper. "Big brother!" cried Allis, completely ignoring what Riku was saying as she ran towards the injured teenager, Maki, Yori and Kole following.

"Aw, how sweet. The little brats coming to save their big brother!" cooed Myris, who then pulled savagely on Kasumi, causing Riku to once again roar out in pain.

"Riku!" cried the four children, crowding around their big brother anxiously. Maki turned to face Myris, his hands clenched into fists and his face screwed up in anger. "What did you do to Nii-san? **(1) **Why did you hurt him? What's that....that...spiky thing in...in his shoulder. Who are you? Why are you hurting my brother?!" cried the twelve-year-old, tears welling up in his emerald eyes as Riku let out another pain stricken howl.

Myris laughed manically and grinned. "I'm hurting your brother because he's a disproportionate aberration, my little friend. You're no better I'm afraid. Your hair's all spiked to the side; it's ridiculous! And you've done the same thing as your brother; got an armband on one arm and not the other. What is wrong with you people! God, I guess I'm going to have to murder you too aren't I? This is so troublesome, _sigh, _I might as well kill the lot of you, it's not like I have-OW!"

Myris yelped in pain as something large, hard, and pointy struck him in the eye. His right eye rapidly swelling, Myris looked around for his assailant.

Maki stood, two more rocks from the extremely stony beach clenched in his hand. Myris growled, dropping Kasumi, lodged as it was in Riku's shoulder, and brandishing Nila as he advanced upon the young boy. Then, the Dark Prince yelped as three more sharp stones hit him in the back. Myris spun around to see Yori and Kole, glaring at him as they brandished stones, ready for the throwing. Myris smiled as he released Nila into its whip form, noting the flash of fear across the twins' faces.

"You kids," he said with unbridled delight, "Are going to die slowly."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo **

**I meant for this chapter to be longer, but for some reason, it was killing me to write it. I don't know why, I was just having major issues concentrating. **

**So we have a little Riku-torture here. I know one of my readers (BlueandRedButterflies) doesn't like blood, so I apologize! **

**Hehe, I also know you guys are dying to see what happened to Sora, so....you'll have to wait and see! **

**(1)Couldn't resist! I watch too much Full Metal Alchemist....**

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p **


	11. To Be Strong

**Hola! We is now on...um.....oh, crap. I really don't know what chapter we're on. I suppose I could check.....but, I'm lazy. So, I'll guess. Eleven right? It's eleven? Oh, who cares. **

**Okay, now, it may P.O. some people, but this chapter is all about Kairi. Don't write it off right away. I'm actually really proud of this chapter, because it has a lot of character development. Please don't skim it over just because you hate Kairi or something. I'm working hard to not make her a weak character in this fic, and her personality and drive in this story really comes out in this chapter. So please, give her a chance. **

***Disclaimer. **

**I own Koru, and the plot, and the name of Kairi's keyblade, but I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Jeez, you think you people would have figured it out by now. **

**To be Strong **

Kairi hummed softly to himself.

The teenager was walking along the beach slowly, humming a song that she had been singing since she was a little girl. Where she had learned it, she didn't know, but she could only surmise that it had been taught to her when she was a Princess in Radiant Garden.

It was still pretty early to be out walking, but Kairi hadn't been able to get much sleep after the events that had transpired the day before.

The Princess frowned as she thought of the attack, and frowned even deeper as she thought of the attack on Sora.

_Gr.....I'm still kind of mad about that. _Thought Kairi, clenching her teeth at the thought of some other girl kissing _her _guy.

_Your guy? _

Kairi blushed as she realized that Namine must have been listening in on her thoughts.

_No, not _my _guy. My...my friend. My really close friend. I don't like the thought of some strange girl kissing my friend. _

_Sure Kairi. _

Kairi sighed and bit her lip.

Who was she kidding? She had been pretending that she only thought of Sora as a friend for awhile now, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it up. Every time she caught a glimpse of his wild spiky hair and brilliant blue eyes her heart skipped a beat and she found it hard to breathe. Sora had always been a cute kid, but in the past two years he had matured into a really handsome teenager, with tan, muscular arms, and a sense of security that made Kairi feel safe and protected around him.

Kairi smiled as she thought of her friend, the way he was confident in everything he did, and an amazing warrior, who fought tooth and nail to protect his friends. She thought of that sheepish smile he wore whenever he couldn't figure something out (which was often) and that adorable blush whenever he'd bump into her accidentally.

_Wow Kairi, you really love Sora. _

The Princess blushed as she realized that Namine must have heard her little internal Sora worshipping.

_What....makes you think that? _

_You're twirling your hair._

Kairi let out a surprised squeak as she realized that a long lock of red hair was tightly wound around her pointer finger. She untwirled it quickly, turning an ever brighter shade of red, made worse by Namine's tinkly laughter inside of her head.

_Well, I don't know. I do really like Sora, he's so sweet, and he was my first friend here. But, Namine, I don't know if I love him. I mean, it's almost to cliché! The damsel in distress, or princess if you prefer, is saved by her dashing hero and they end up together....I've never been a girly girl who goes all goo-goo for fairy tale endings. It's like fate is pushing the two of us together...and you know how much I hate being pushed around. *Sigh*. I don't know Namine, I do really like Sora, and I won't deny it, I hate the idea of any other girl anywhere _near _him. But love? I'm not sure. _

_That's okay Kairi. You're only sixteen! You don't need to be making decisions like that yet. Both of you are still young. You have time to think it out. _

Kairi smiled, still feeling uneasy, but better, thanks to her Nobody.

_Thanks Nami, but what about you and Roxas? _

_Oh...we're not in love. At least...I-I don't know...I mean, I think Roxas might be but....oh hell. I'm such a hypocrite. Yeah, we're in love Kairi. _

_Ugh. I told you. The whole world is pushing me towards him! _

_That's not....um...._

_Oh, just stop it. I'm fighting fate and we both know it. _

_So...what are you going to do?_

_Start planning the wedding? _

_Kairi...._

Suddenly, Namine and Kairi's conversation ended abruptly.

The Princess froze, her entire body tense. She let out a little gasp as a horrible, chilling feeling descended upon her. Kairi clenched her fists, her entire being shaking under the power of the chills that travelled up and down her spine.

_Kairi! _Cried Namine. _What _is _that? Is there a being of darkness near by? What's going on! I've __**never **__felt a darkness so strong...and I spent most of my existence in the company of Organization XIII. _

Kairi grimaced, feeling sick to her stomach under the massive flow of darkness.

_I don't know. I've never felt anything like it either Nami.....no. That's a lie. I felt something similar to this yesterday, when those wolf-things attacked us. But this....it's stronger. Much stronger._

"_What do we do?" _

Kairi clenched her teeth.

Kairi had spent a long time trying to prove to Riku and Sora that she wasn't a weak little girl that needed to be protected. She had spent long hours on the beach, training with her Keyblade until her hands were full of blisters and bleeding. She'd burnt countless outfits, given herself frostbite, and electrocuted herself time and time again, driving herself beyond exhaustion to prove that she was worthy of the Keyblade that she had received. Kairi had trained with the boys as well, but the two of them treated her like a breakable china doll. To them, it seemed, she would always be weak little Kairi, the perpetual damsel in distress.

But she wasn't.

_Namine, _she said telepathically, _we're ready for this. Whatever it is, we're going to fight. _

_O-Okay! _

Kairi took a deep breath and summoned Blossoming Light, shifting into the battle position, waiting for her opponent to appear.

It didn't take long.

Kairi watched the large, shaggy wolf appear, observing it with the same calm, cool collected attitude that she had seen Riku use time and time again.

_I'll show you boys! _Thought Kairi with a grim smile. _I'll make you proud. _

The dark wolf continued to advance, its tongue lolling out of its mouth and it tail wagging furiously behind it. Kairi watched as it trotted closer and closer, stopping about five metres away from the Princess.

There was silence.

Kairi shifted her weight, her feet sliding across the sand. The teenager moved her hands into a more comfortable position on the Keyblade, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the enemy before her.

The wolf was large, much larger than the Shadow Wolves that Kairi had faced the previous day. He had thick, shaggy, dark brown hair and a large throat sack. He had fur falling in front of his eyes, which were completely obscured from view. His tongue lolled out of his massive jaws, which were almost overflowing with thick, glistening teeth, saliva leaving wet tracks through the fur underneath his great maw. His paws were huge, with thick black claws that clearly had dried blood encrusted between them, and the points worn by battle, but still wickedly sharp.

Kairi fought down the fear that began to rise deep within her gut and concentrated on maintaining a level head. She had to concentrate on the battle and not let her emotions cloud her judgement.

"Hello!" said the wolf cheerfully, shaking his head slightly so that the fur in front of his face shifted to reveal small, mischievous, dark brown eyes.

Kairi's eyes narrowed. She didn't know what the wolf was playing at, but she knew that she couldn't be distracted and exchange words with the enemy.

The wolf looked slightly abashed at Kairi's silence, but the grin soon returned to his face.

"My name is Koru! What's your name?" he said cheerfully, taking a step towards the Princess.

Kairi narrowed her eyes and took two steps back, remaining silent. Koru frowned.

"That's not very nice; I asked you your name! I told you _my _name, how come you're being so mean!" pouted Koru, narrowing his eyes.

Kairi was puzzled. What was with this wolf? Wasn't he going to attack her? What was he playing at?

"You're _really _not being nice. I thought maybe, we could be friends, but not now, 'cause you're a meanie. So I'm going to kill you, and bite you, and scratch and tear all that pretty skin with my claws. And I'm going to make you _bleed. _And I'm going to make you bleed _again _and _again! _And you'll scream and scream and scream and I'll take my teeth and make you bleed even more and your blood will be _everywhere! _Ooh, I can smell it from here! You smell.....like....like....like Master Myris and Princess Fawn. That's what you smell like. But different. You smell.....lighter. But the same, your blood smells the same. It smells...._delicious. _I always hoped that one day Master Myris would ask me to kill Fawn, because they both....I just _really _wanted to taste that blood! And I couldn't, of course, hurt my Master, but now, I can get _you. _And taste _your _blood. Ooh! I'm excited! I'm soooo excited! I can't wait to scratch and bite and tear-OWWWW!!!"

Koru abruptly ended his speech and howled in pain as Kairi plunged Blossoming Light into his shoulder. The teenager yanked her weapon out of her assailant and leapt back.

"The name's Kairi, Princess of Radiant Garden," she snarled, "And you're not getting your filthy paws anywhere _near _my royal blood, you mutt!"

Koru whimpered and licked his wounded shoulder pitifully, before turning back to face Kairi with his gums pulled back to reveal his teeth.

"Stupid little girl. I'm going to eat you up!" said Koru, grinning maliciously, ignoring the blood that was running down his leg and through his fur.

Kairi swallowed as she saw the red liquid pool onto the ground. Never before had she face an enemy that..._bled. _A genuine, living creature that had a life of its own. All her foes had been creatures of darkness, or creatures of nothing. None of them had had...._souls. _None of them were currently staining the ground with the blood that _she _had shed.

_It's so horrible...._

Kairi was mildly startled by Namine's intrusion, but she responded as if nothing was amiss.

_I know....I know. But....but it's...he's an enemy. We have to fight it. And...and kill it if necessary. We've got to be strong Namine. Damn it! _I've _got to be strong! I won't be weak! I just won't! _

Kairi abruptly ended her internal conversation and once again charged the wolf, running forward with the chilling efficiency that she had learned form Riku.

But this time, Koru was ready.

The wolf caught Kairi's keyblade in his jaws as she thrust it at him and wrenched it out of the girl's hands, tossing it to the side. Kairi let out a gasp and quickly dodged the monstrous teeth that were now lunging at her. Rolling to the side, The Princess retrieved her lost weapon and leapt to her feet, immediately shooting a Firaga made completely of light at the wolf. Koru snarled and dodged it. Immediately, the Lupisomra ran at the Princess, moving with impossible speed. Kairi's eyes widened as Koru seemed to disappear.....

And reappear right beside her. The Princess let out a little shriek and jumped to the side, but not before Koru's claws raked her side.

Kairi screeched in pain and jumped farther away, her face scrunched in pain.

_Kairi! _

_I'm fine! I'm fine! Let me concentrate! _

_**We're **__not fine, Kairi. I can feel __**our **__pain. We should run for it! We're close to Riku's house...._

_No! I won't! I'm strong enough! I won't be a burden! I'm strong! I'm strong dammit! _

Kairi immediately ended her conversation with Namine and took a deep breath, trying to keep a level head through the pain. The teenager swallowed and faced her opponent, holding Blossoming Light at the ready.

Koru was grinning madly, staring at the blood on his claws with delight. Slowly, the Lupisomra lifted his paw and ran his tongue along the bloodied tips of his digits.

"Ohhhh," sighed the wolf with obvious pleasure, "It's good, _so _good! Better than it smells....so much better....more! More! More! More _blood! _I'm going to spill your blood and revel in it! I'm going to kill you!" howled Koru, running at the Princess full speed, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and streaming behind him.

Kairi fought down her rising panic and braced herself, preparing to meet the beast head on.

_**CLANG!!**_

Koru's massive jaws met the blade and hilt of Kairi's keyblade with an odd metal sound, his teeth parrying the weapon as if they were made of steel. The wolf was on his hind legs, and his forelegs were up, his paws on Kairi's arms and his claws digging horribly into her skin, blood pouring from the Princess in crimson rivers.

Kairi gritted her teeth against the pain and continued to push back against the wolf, his insane eyes inches away from hers.

With a giggle, Koru began to slowly push harder on Blossoming Light, his claws digging deeper and deeper into Kairi's skin.

_C-crap. _Thought the Princess. _He wasn't using his full strength! He's just playing with me! _

Kairi was slowly forced down into a kneeling position as Koru pushed harder and harder, the redhead barely able to continue to hold up her weapon under the weight, and with her arms so badly damaged.

_Kairi! You can't beat him! Let me call Roxas, please!_

_No! I won't....I won't let Sora save me again...never again.....NEVER AGAIN! _

Kairi screamed and her whole body and Keyblade began to glow brilliantly. Koru narrowed his eyes in confusion, and then howled in pain as Blossoming Light and Kairi's body became searing hot, burning the pads of his paws and the inside of his mouth.

The wolf leapt back, whimpering, his burnt tongue lolling out of his jaws, which had smoke filtering out.

Kairi gasped and dropped her Keyblade, sitting on her knees with her hands on her legs. The Princess stared at her gored arms with shock, unable to process, or even feel the carnage that was her own body.

Kairi's arms had been raked to the bone, _literally. _In several places white was just visible through the mess of blood and torn muscle. Sinews and gore were hanging out of the wounds in grotesque strands, and the amount of blood that was pouring from the limbs covered Kairi's arms, legs, and entire outfit.

_Kairi....oh god, Kairi. It hurts! It hurts so much! _

_I....I can't even feel it. Nami, I'm scared. I can't feel my arms! What's going on?! Why can you feel the pain and I can't? Oh god, I'm so scared...._

Kairi watched numbly as Koru, walking unsteadily on his burnt paws and mouth still smoking, advanced upon her, grinning like a child with a new toy.

"Your blood.....is everywhere! It's everywhere! So good! So very good! Your _mine. _All mine! Your blood is mine! Your weak, but your blood is _good. _And now, you're done and I can do _anything _and _everything _I want. Teehee, goodbye little girl! I'm going to tear you, and claw you and shred and you and bite you until there's nothing left! I'm going to kill you! Your blood is mine!" howled the wolf with a sadistic laugh, staring at Kairi with eager, hungry eyes.

Kairi could only watch, helplessly, as the homicidal wolf lunged at her.

_I.......am weak. _

**Ta-daaaaaa! **

**Okay, I'm really proud of this chapter. It's not my fave chapter, but I am really proud of it. Please tell me what you thought of it, and what you thought of Kairi's character development. Review! Review! Review! **

**Okay, I know what you're all thinking. **

**You're thinking, 'natcat5, you realize you've just left your readers with **_**three **_**cliff-hangers in a row, right? Have you no shame?!!!' Yes, I realize I am being very evil, made worse by the fact that school's started and I'm in an advanced nerd program with waaaaaay to much homework, so it may be awhile until the next update. Oh well! Life's tough! Teehee! **

**Hopefully, you'll quicken the updating process with your faaaaabulous reviews! Capiche? **

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p **


	12. Resolutionsort of

**Hoo boy! This was, I think, my longest chapter, or close to it. It took me awhile because I had to tie up my three cliffhangers. Woo! Okay, so this chapter is, well, okay, I dunno. It just is. So, you know, read it. **

**Oh, and I am now the proud owner of Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days! Joy to the world! **

***Disclaimer **

**Xemnas: Hello, I am Xemnas. **

**Saix:......**

**Xemnas: Saix, you may introduce yourself. **

**Saix: Yes Superior! I am Saix. **

**Me:......Okay, how the hell did you two get in here?! **

**Saix: Don't speak to the Superior that way! **

**Xemnas: Down boy. **

**Saix: Yes Superior. **

**Me: Wow Saix, I bet you would jump off a cliff if he told you to. **

**Saix:.....**

**Xemnas:.....would you? **

**Saix: Do you **_**want **_**me too?**

**Me: Can you just do the flippin disclaimer! **

**Saix: Master? **

**Xemnas: Go ahead. **

**Saix: Natcat5 does not own Kingdom Hearts, though she does own her OCs and the plot. Did I do it good? Did I? **

**Xemnas: Yes Saix puppy. Have a cookie. **

**Saix: Yay! Thank you Superior! (wags tail)**

**Me:.........Seriously, how the hell did you guys get in here? **

**Resolution....sort of**

The Keybearer took a deep breath, and began walking towards the dark triplets.

There was an eerie silence throughout the marketplace as Sora began his approach, his large shoes making a clopping sound on the pavement. The brunette wouldn't, couldn't meet the astonished gazes of the islanders. He kept his eyes on the ground in front of him, his hand clutching Oathkeeper so hard it hurt. Sora knew, without a doubt, that he was walking towards his doom, and away from his friends and family, probably forever, and Kairi, Namine, Riku and Roxas weren't even here. The Keybearer had never felt more alone. Sora felt such a crushing loneliness, especially with the lack of Roxas. He wished that he at least had the blonde, sarcastic psycho with him, but maybe it was better that the Nobody wasn't there. Why should Namine have to lose Roxas just because Kairi lost Sora? Assuming, of course, that Kairi even liked him the way Namine liked Roxas...

"SORA!!!!"

The spiky haired teenager stopped mid-stride as the loud, unignorable voice of his father reverberated through the area.

Yamato Mey ran towards his son, pushing aside people ruthlessly as he raced into the cleared area where Sora and the three newcomers stood, placing himself between the teenager and the triplets.

"Hey! Get out of the way old man! The Keybearer's coming with us!" snarled Froxe, taking a threatening step forward. Yamato Mey snarled right back.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about! This is my son and he's going nowhere with you! So help me god, if you come any closer I'll kill you!" he shouted.

Froxe just laughed at that, baring his fangs in amusement. "Old Man, I could beat you with my eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back. Step aside. The Unlocker comes with us!" he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Dad, please, just move," implored Sora in a tired voice. Yamato turned his head to face his son, surprise, shock, disbelief, and confusion all displayed on his hardened face.

"Dad," continued Sora softly, "I don't want you to get hurt. You should just move. I'll be fine."

Yamato's face screwed up in anger. "Look. Don't give me that crap! I don't know what the hell is going on, but you're not going _anywhere _with them. Got it?" he snarled.

"Oooohhhh, that's so cute!" purred Nexa. "The Unlocker needs his Daddy to protect him!" The blue haired girl grinned, brandishing her claws menacingly. "But Daddy dearest," she said quietly, "is going to get torn to little bitty pieces if he doesn't move _now._" Behind her, Froxe snickered, bearing his fangs once more.

Yamato looked at the menacing girl in disbelief. "Why you little-,"

"Dad! Watch out!" At Sora's panicked shout, Yamato's head whipped to the side in time to see three soldiers (at Froxe's command) leaping at him, brandishing jagged hooks and daggers. Yamato looked at the approaching men in shock, surprised at their sudden appearance and completely at their mercy. The man could see the weapons twinkling in the early morning sun, the ugly faces of the men grinning wickedly at the chance to please their masters. They were almost upon him....

"THUNDAGA!!!!!"

For a moment, the entire area seemed to darken, then, there was a blinding flash of light, and a thick crackling sound filled the air. Yamato's eyes closed instinctively at the bright burst of light before him, only to fly open again at the anguish screams of the three men.

His jaw dropped.

The three men that had tried to attack him were now sprawled out on the ground, twitching horribly and with smoke rising from their burned bodies. Their hands had been welded to their now red-hot weapons, and the life was draining from their eyes, which stared upwards, sightless.

Yamato took a step back, bile rising in his throat as the scent of rapidly burning flesh reached him.

What had happened?

Froxe stared at the agonizing men with raised eyebrows, a sadistic grin making its way across his face.

"Hehe, interesting. I'm tempted to fight his guy just to see if he could land a blow like that on us," he said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Nexa snorted, flipping her light blue hair over her shoulder, "I doubt it. Those guys were just flunkies. I don't know why you sent them out in the first place," she scoffed.

Froxe shook his red locks out of his eyes and smirked. "Maybe. But they tested the Keybearer's power well enough. Look at them! Burnt to a crisp. Come on Nexa, let's send the troops back and fight him ourselves. It'll be fun! When was the last time we fought _anyone _who could face us for more than a few seconds? I'm bored out of my mind and fricasseeing his ass may just get me out of my rut. Who knows? Maybe we'll even get to sick Paxle on him," said Froxe, looking at the purple-haired boy, who hadn't moved an inch since his arrival.

Yamato took a step back, his eyes stuck on the ruined men, he could faintly hear the panicked cries of the townspeople as they began to flee, the striking down of the men having been the last straw that sent them into a terror. The policemen tried to come them down, but they were flustered and completely at a loss as to what to do in the situation? Were they under attack? What were they were supposed to do? This was Destiny Islands! Things like this didn't happen....

Suddenly, Yamato's thoughts returned to the reason he was standing there in the first place.

"Sora!" he cried, whirling around to where his son stood behind him.

His eyes widened.

The teenager was holding Oathkeeper, both hands shaking as they maintained a death grip on the weapon. His blue eyes were wide and glassy, face paler then Yamato had ever seen it. His legs were shaking as well, and he seemed barely able to stand on his feet.

_Oh god...._thought the Keybearer in horror. _I killed them....I killed those men. They were real, living and breathing men....not heartless, not Nobodies...not some freakish dark psychopath...those were people...people who were just following orders...and I....I...I._

_**You saved your Dad! **_

Sora jumped and almost dropped Oathkeeper, his eyes losing their glaze and hope filling them as the familiar voice of a certain Nobody filled his head.

_Roxas! Oh god, I'm so glad you're back! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend you earlier, and I was afraid I'd never see...or hear you again, because those three kids showed up and threatened everyone and I had to bring out the Keyblade and I had to go and the guys attacked my dad and they were going to.....and I had to...._

_**I know! I know! Calm down, okay? You is me, and me is you. As soon as I came back I got all of your memories. **_

_Oh...okay. _

_**Just...just calm down. We'll get out of this. We just have to think rationally and not panic. **_

_But Roxas....I killed them! _

_**Yeah...yeah maybe. But...but you're a warrior Sora. A young one, but a warrior. It's...it's what we do. It's horrible, and it sucks, but those guys were gonna hack up your dad, so you didn't have a choice. You didn't have a choice. We can't dwell on that! Not now! There's too much drama going on right now. We've got three freakish vampire-things, a bunch of mutant cats, some slimy looking army, and a panicked crowd. We've got to not freak out...we need to remain calm...and not freak out...**_

_You're right. Thanks Roxas...I....I understand. _

_**Just not freak out....can't freak out...remain calm....**_

_Uh....Roxas? _

_**Don't panic....just....don't panic.....**_

_......Roxas. _

_**God damn it Sora! I said to not freak out! Stop freaking out already! Everything's going to be fine! It'll be fine! Fine! Fine! Fine! So stop freaking out!**_

_....._

_**......**_

_.....Riiiiiiiight. _

_**Oh, shut up. I'm feeling a little ancy. **_

_Why? _

_**Well, I'm getting these really weird vibes from Nami.....I...they're sort of weak but.....Sora, I've got a bad feeling. I think the girls are in trouble. **_

_You're right....I feel...this really bad feeling.....like a part of me is in pain...Damn it! Like we didn't have enough to worry about! _

"Sora!"

The teenager was snapped out of his internal conversation when the loud voice of his father penetrated his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, Dad. Hi. Are you okay?" he said half-heartedly, his mind far away, trying to think of solutions to the various problems presented to him.

Yamato Mey stared at his son in disbelief. He wasn't stupid. In fact, he was rather smart. He quickly and easily determined that it was Sora, through the use of his unusual weapon, who had completely decimated those three men. And yet, here the boy was, standing there, talking to his father as if nothing had happened.

As if he hadn't just taken three lives.

Yamato swallowed, his stomach churning with a thousand pent-up emotions.

Who was this boy? And what had he done with his sweet, innocent, Sora?

"Hey! Keybearer! Yoohoo!"

Both Mey boys turned their heads towards the three odd teenagers. Froxe was grinning, while Nexa looked exasperated and bored, examining her long nails. Paxle, per usual, was impassive.

Sora narrowed his eyes. What now? Did they still want him to go with them? The crowd had all but dispersed, there weren't that many civilians left to hold for ransom. Why had they let them all go like that? What was their plan?

"Here's our proposition," said Froxe silkily, bearing his fangs in a smile. "You notice how we let all those pathetic scraps of townspeople escape? Well, we did it to clear the area. We won't be threatening those little shits anymore, or at least, we won't if you do _one thing." _

Sora blinked and tightened his grip on Oathkeeper. "Oh yeah? What might that be?" he snarled, his eyes hard and steely, looking like chips of blue ice.

Nexa sighed and put her hand down, staring at the teenager with emotionless black eyes. "Froxe wants to fight you. Well, he wants _us _to fight you. If you're good enough, maybe even Paxle will fight you. Though I doubt _that _will ever happen. Froxe wants to find out if you're as good as they say. You've saved the universe twice, defeated countless scores of enemies; three kids like us shouldn't be a problem, right? You fight us, and we won't have to hurt anybody-," here she sighed, as if mourning the loss of something, "-and if you win, well, I guess you don't have to come with us. 'Cause the only way you're winning is if we're dead," said Nexa, her lips curling into a snarl. "But if we win, obviously we get the right to haul you're sorry ass back to Del Perso with us. So there you go. Fight us, and we don't have to harm any of you precious Islanders. Got it?"

There was silence.

Yamato turned back to look at his son, half-expecting Sora to shout out a bunch of meaningless insults and refuse their deadly offer, like he would have done in the past. But now, Mr. Mey had no idea what the boy was going to do.

Currently, Sora seemed to be deep in thought. So deep, it was almost like he was having an internal conversation, his face contorting with expressions.

_What are you thinking about Sora? _Thought the man, a deep sadness descending upon him.

_Once, I might have known, but now..._

Sora was frowning, his eyebrow twitching as he argued internally.

Yamato barely contained a sigh.

_What is he thinking? _

**Sora's mind **

_Yes! _

_**No! **_

_We have to! _

_**No we don't! **_

_Do you want everyone to die?_

_**I don't want you to die!**_

_I won't die! _

_**No, you'll be kidnapped! God knows what they want you for! What if they want you for...for...for some sort of twisted harem?! What if they make you a sex slave! God, Sora, so many horrible things....Who knows what they could do! And what will Riku do if he finds out someone stole is uke! **_

_.....What the hell is wrong with you?! _

_**I don't know! Whatever's wrong with me is wrong with you! I'm **_**your **_**Nobody! So if there's something wrong with me, it was wrong with you first!**_

_That makes no sense! _

_**It makes perfect sense! **_

_Does not! _

_**Does to! **_

_Does not! _

_**Does to! **_

_Does not! _

_**Does not! **_

_Does to! _

_**Ha, you agree with me!**_

_What?! Argh....damn you Roxas....._

**End Sora's Mind**

"Look," said Nexa curtly. "We're not pulling anything. Fight us, and you're pathetic little island goes free. You want an act of good faith or something? Geez, it's not that difficult! Choose already!" she snarled.

Froxe grinned and turned around, winking at the army assembled behind him. He made some motions and the mass of men and mutations retreated back into the still present dark portal, which then disappeared.

Sora frowned, ending his conversation with Roxas as he returned to the real world. Were they so confident that they'd send back their entire army? Or were they just crazy?

"Well, Unlocker?" snapped Nexa, obviously impatient for an answer. "What will it be? Will you let all your precious townsfolk suffer, or will you fight?"

Sora's eyes narrowed and he raised Oathkeeper, while summoning Oblivion in his other hand.

Yamato's eyes widened at the appearance of the second sword, as did Neza and Froxe's.

"Yeah," said Sora with a cocky half-smirk, "I'll fi-,"

Sora was cut off abruptly by a bright flash of light that appeared suddenly between him and the three teenagers. Yamato also jumped back, his mind flashing back to the horrific lightning strike from before.

Sora's eyes widened as he saw the figure that had appeared via the light.

_**Holy crap on a stick! **_

"K-King Mickey!" stuttered the Keyblade Master. "Your Majesty!"

**xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxooxoxo**

Maki shook with fear as he saw Myris raise his whip, smiling evilly at his younger siblings. "No!" cried the twelve-year-old, throwing another rock at the evil teen. This time, Myris angled Nila so that one of its blades deflected the rock, glaring at Maki with narrowed, violet eyes.

"Stupid kids," he snarled, "I'm going to slice you to bits!"

Picking up Kasumi, the traitor prince _yanked _the weapon out of Riku's shoulder, causing the teenager to let out a heart-stopping bellow of pain. The Keyblader fell back onto the now bloodied ground, his eyes closing as he fell quickly into unconsciousness.

"RIKU!!!!!" cried Maki, Yori and Kole.

Myris laughed maniacally and brandished the two whips, Kasumi's blades completely covered in blood.

"Aw, poor Riku-kun. It's a pity he couldn't stay conscious long enough to watch his siblings die!" snarled the dark prince, whipping Scura Kasumi around at the twins and sending Scura Nila flying at Maki. Yori and Kole squeaked and shut their eyes tightly, while Maki could only stare in frozen horror as the spiked whip came speeding towards him.

"BLIZZAGA!"

Maki continued to stare, his green eyes wide.

Nila was about an inch away from his face, encased in a block of ice that extended to the ground. Kasumi was in the same position, frozen mere centimetres away from the terrified twins. In between the two weapons, their master was also frozen, his lips curled in a snarl and his eyes glaring, as if realizing that he had been hit.

"Wha-," began Maki, reaching out with a finger to poke the ice-covered weapon.

"WAHHHH! DON'T TOUCH THAT!"

The silver haired boy let out a yelp and jumped back, turning around to see a large white duck, dressed in blue clothes and wielding a staff, running towards him, waving its arms **(wings?) **frantically.

"Get away! The spell's not very strong!" squawked the duck, grabbing Maki by the ear and dragging him away from the frozen prince. Yori and Kole, followed immediately, protesting the manhandling of their older brother.

"Riku, you'd think you'd know better than to mess with someone who's been Blizzaga'd, that spell's very unstable!" quacked Donald, ignoring the protests of the twins as he wagged a disapproving finger **(feather?) **at Maki. The twelve-year-old sweatdropped. "Uh....Mister Duck Sir? I'm not Riku," he said nervously.

Donald froze.

"WAGGHHHHHH?!!! WHATDDYA MEAN YOU'RE NOT RIKU??!!!" squawked the magician.

"We're his brothers and sister! How do you know our brother?" said Kole belligerently.

"Forget that! Please, help us! Riku's hurt!" cried Yori, running over to her injured sibling's side. It was then that Donald noticed the injured teenager, sprawled out on the ground. The Duck's eyes bugged out and he let out a loud squawk of horror!

"WAGGGHHHH! RIKU! WHAT IN MOUSE'S NAME HAPPENED TO HIM?!!!"

The duck immediately proceeded to run over to the prone warrior and cast a Curaga. The green light settled over the warrior, but his wounds only closed a little, still bleeding profusely.

"Graflabbidagadarnitgrabadarnit!" muttered Donald, realizing that Riku would need many, many strong Curagas before he was even remotely better. The duck looked back towards the frozen prince.

His eyes narrowed.

Already, the prince was beginning to break free, his eyes moving and glaring at the magician. Donald grimaced and then grinned as an idea occurred to him.

This was the perfect time to try out that new spell he'd been working on!

Grinning, the white duck marched purposefully towards the frozen warrior, whose eyes narrowed at the magician's approach. Donald raised his staff and pointed it towards the chunk of ice, twirling it as he did. The duck took a deep breath....

"TRANSPORTAGA!!"

There was a blinding flash of light, and the frozen figure of Myris disappeared, falling back into a swirling bright vortex. The light diminished, and the three Riku-clones, the duck, and the wounded warrior were alone on the battle-churned beach.

"Whoa! Where'd he go?" asked Kole, green eyes wide.

"Forget him! Help Onii-chan!" exclaimed Yori, clutching her injured brother's hand.  
"Oh, right," said Donald sheepishly, moving over to once again begin healing the warrior.

_This is gonna take forever, _thought the Duck as a greenish light extended from his staff, _I wonder how Goofy and the King are doing? _

**xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxooxoxo**

Floating.

It was like floating.

Kairi felt like she was floating as she watched the brown wolf approach her, wobbling on his burnt paws, claws reddened with her blood. He was grinning, scorched tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth, light coloured smoke trickling from his jaws as he walked forward, giggling like crazy.

It was like she was watching from far away, watching her death wobble closer and closer. Kairi could hear Namine screaming in her head, screaming in pain, but she could barely register....barely hear....

Through half-closed eyes, the Princess saw Koru spring.

_**THUD.**_

"Awoooooooooo!"

Kairi's eyes widened slightly as something blurred in front of her and a deep THUD was heard. Koru's howl got fainter as the wolf went flying off somewhere into the distance, a product of bouncing off a certain someone's shield.

"Gawrsh, Miss Kairi, are you alright?"

Kairi lifted her head slightly as she saw the blurry shape turn to her. The Princess's eyes closed as she slowly sank to the ground.

"Princess! Gawrsh, I better get you to Donald quick, Hyuck!"

**xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxooxoxo**

Sora stared in astonishment at the small mouse king before him. Mickey turned his head, winking at the teenager.

"Hiya Sora! Long time no see!" said the King. Yamato's eyes widened and he took a step forward.

"Alright, now just who the hell are _you?!_" asked the man, thoroughly pissed off with all these..._beings _randomly appearing and claiming to know his son.

"Dad!" said Sora in horror, "This is a King!" he hissed. Yamato stared at his son in disbelief. "Oh really?" said the man, anger rising in his voice as he continued, "And just how would I know that? Huh? Tell me Sora, how am I to know that this...this _mouse_ is a _king, _a king that you happen to know! How am I supposed to know that Sora? Because, lord knows, you've never told me a thing about him! Or about _anything! _Ever!"

Sora's eyes widened and he looked down sheepishly, finally recognizing a bit of the internal turmoil that his dad suffered. King Mickey frowned and looked back and forth between the two, immediately surmising their relationship with each other. The mouse grimaced as he realized that it was his order to Sora not to tell of his adventures that was creating the animosity between the two.

_Well, I'll fix that! _Thought the mouse king cheerfully, _just as soon as I deal with these three! _

'These three' were currently staring at Mickey with a mixture of confusion, anger and disgust. All of them except for Paxle **(yeah.....he's not going to do anything for awhile. Get used to it.).**

"And just who the hell are you?" spat Nexa, lifting her clawed hand menacingly. Mickey smiled and raised his Golden Keyblade. He winked at the three odd teens.

"I am King Mickey, Ruler of Disney Castle and a Keyblade Wielder. Now fellas, no need to introduce yourselves, I know who you are, and I also know where you're from. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. Destiny Islands is no place for members of the Night Order," said the King, his voice stern and commanding. Nexa and Froxe started in surprise, as did Sora.

"How do you know about the Night Order?" hissed Froxe, taking a threatening step forward. Mickey smiled. "I'm a King. I need to know everything about places and people that might threaten my land. And fellas...." here the mouse chuckled, "Mundo Del Perso is definitely a threatening place."

"Whatever, rodent. Get out of our way! We've got business with the Unlocker!" snarled the fanged red-head. Mickey narrowed his eyes and lowered into a battle position. "Sorry, can't let that happen. You see, Sora here's a good friend of mine, and he's saved the universe once or twice, so I couldn't, in good conscience, let you guys whisk him away to your war-torn land!" said the mouse with another wink at the spiky-haired brunette.

Yamato's head was whirling. He was Sora's good friend? And he was a King? What was that about Sora saving the universe? What was going on?

"So you're gonna fight us too? This should be interesting," purred Nexa, black eyes glittering. Froxe merely chuckled, cracking his knuckles sinisterly.

Sora moved beside the King and knelt into a battle position, holding Oathkeeper and Oblivion.

_This is it..._thought the Keyblade Master, glaring at the grinning faces of Nexa and Froxe through narrowed blue eyes.

_**Yeah. Let's hope we don't die. You haven't even confessed your undying love to Kairi yet! **_

_Ugh....don't start. At least that bad feeling's gone away...._

_**Yeah, whatever happened to the girls, I think they might be okay now. **_

_Right. So let's focus on _us!

The four warriors all tensed, preparing to make the first move of what was sure to be an epic battle....

"STOP!"

Mickey looked to the side, puzzled, while Nexa and Froxe turned around in anger. Sora completely froze, his mind already descending into tapioca as he heard a familiar voice.

_Fawn...._he thought, his mind filled with images of the raven-haired girl and her piercing golden eyes.

_**Oh great. It's the succubus. Try not to make out with her in the middle of the street, 'kay Sora? **_

_......It's Fawn............ _

_**....*sigh. And so it begins....**_

Fawn leapt onto the scene, astride a large, but slim gray wolf.

"Stop it," she hissed, glaring at Nexa and Froxe. "Leave him alone, I won't have you dragging an innocent boy into our fight! Leave the troubles of our world, to our world!" she commanded, tawny eyes flashing.

Nexa and Froxe looked at her in shock, before turning to one another and bursting into eerie laughter.

"That's rich coming from you Miss Sa-Lua," sneered Nexa, "Wasn't it you who came up with the idea of using the Keyblader to find the heart?"

Fawn flinched and turned her head to gaze at Sora, who was once again immobilized by her very presence.

"Yes," she said softly, "I won't deny it. I wanted to use him to restore light to Del Perso, but I'd live in our half-darkness forever if it meant keeping Sora away from you!" she cried passionately.

Sora stared up at the girl in amazement, his heart all aflutter as he watched her defend him.

_Wow....Roxas...I think...I think she really cares about me._

_**Or maybe she's just manipulating you. **_

_I don't know Roxas...there's got to be a reason...why do I feel this way around her? _

_**Two words. Hor. Mones. Or do I need to give you the whole 'birds and the bees' talk? I'd do it happily! **_

_Oh why do I even bother....?_

"So you're going to stand there and protect him?" said Froxe, baring his fangs. "You think you stand a chance against us? We're the Dark Triplets, and it's death to challenge us, little girl."

Fawn narrowed her eyes and pulled a small dagger from where it was hidden under her pant leg.

"I'm not a little girl," she said sternly. "I'm the Sa-Lua of Della Luna, and I stand for light!"

Nexa's face was shocked and Froxe looked like he was about to burst into laughter.

"Listen, Fawn. I don't know what you're trying to pull-,"

"Sora! You're Majesty!"

All the parties turned to see Donald running towards them, followed by Riku, leaning heavily on his five siblings as he hobbled weakly after.

"Riku..." said Sora, almost sleepily, still lethargic under Fawn's intoxicating presence.

Suddenly, a warm feeling filled the Keyblade Master, as if a bomb of light had exploded in his chest.

_**Nami! **_

Behind Riku, came Kairi, walking unsteadily with Goofy supporting her. The Princess was covered in blood, and she was pale as a ghost, her face sallow, and bags under her beautiful eyes.

"Kairi!" cried Sora, his mind clearing as he began running towards the red-head.

"Damn it!" hissed Froxe. "Wasn't that fool Myris supposed to be taking care of them?"

Nexa spat bad-temperedly. "This sucks. We've got three Keybearers to deal with now, that stupid Moon slut, and that Princess girl. Those two weirdoes....the duck thing seems to have some magic or something, and that dog thing's shield has some freakish mojo....dammit! Shit Froxe, you just had to be all macho and send our troops back! Now we've got to retreat!" she spat.

Froxe stared at the blue-haired girl in shock, black eyes wide.

"Are you kidding me?! Are you forgetting who we are? We could take them with our arms tied behind our backs and our eyes taped shut!" he hissed.

Nexa flipped her hair haughtily and sniffed. "You're so stupid Froxe. Can't you _feel _it? This place, Destiny Islands, it's so damn _good! _We're weak here! And that freaking' sun, it's like a giant bug zapper. We're getting weaker every moment we stay here. Why do you think the Dark Lord told us not to dally? We can'tfight _all_ of them, not here, and you sent our troops back!"

Froxe flinched. "What about Pax-,"

"Same thing. Sun, light, goodness, this whole f(oops!)ing place! He's in the same boat as us. Right now, we should try and _avoid _a fight. Damn. I hate this! I haven't retreated since I was one!" cursed Nexa.

"Kairi, Riku! Are you guys okay!" cried Sora, running towards his wounded friends.

_**I'm gonna see how Namine's doing. **_Said Roxas in Sora's mind.

_Huh? _

_**You know, telepathy thingy. Haven't we been over this before? **_

_Right. You do that. I'm going to make sure Kairi's okay. _

Sora rushed to the redhead's side, taking in her bloodstained clothes and wretched appearance with horror.

"What happened!" he said, grabbing Kairi and embracing her tightly.

Kairi let out a little gasp and melted in his arms. Being so close to him like this....it was like a ball of warmth was sitting in her chest, growing larger and warmer as he clutched her tighter and tighter. Kairi buried her face in Sora's chest, letting the tears trickle down her haggard face. The Princess could feel his strong arms around her, and the heat of his body, warming her to the very soul.

"I'm here," whispered Sora into Kairi's hair. "I'm always here."

Kairi's sobs increased.

_Yes, you're always here Sora. _She lamented internally. _And I always need you. I always need you, or Riku or _someone _to come and save me...I'm useless! _

"You see that you stand no chance, don't you?" said Fawn, smiling grimly. The assembled Keybearers and their allies all turned to look, Sora still holding onto Kairi tightly.

"We see no such thing!" spat Nexa. "We're making a...tactical decision to go back and make a better plan. So go to hell you lopsided bitch!"

With that, Nexa quickly opened a Corridor of Darkness and stalked through, Froxe running after her, with an impassive Paxle trailing behind. As the purple-haired boy disappeared, the portal wavered and disappeared.

Silence.

Fawn turned to face the assembled people.

"I'm so sorry I dragged you into all of this Sora," she said, her face agonized. "I just...I couldn't see any other way...I had heard that the Keybearer helped worlds in trouble and I thought that maybe...but I guess my home is beyond help."

With that, the Dark Princess opened her own Corridor of Darkness and rode through astride her wolf. The Vortex disappeared, and the Islanders and their bipedal animal friends were left alone.

Silence.

"Gawrsh, what was that all about your majesty?" inquired Goofy, scratching his head.

"That," said Yamato Mey, turning to face the bipedal dog in armour, the large duck in mage cloth, the black-robed mouse with the glorious key weapon, Riku, bloody and leaning on his siblings, Kairi, completely covered in blood and pressed against Sora, and, of course, the spiky haired teenager himself, looking sheepish and conflicted.

"Is a good question."

**Ahaha! Okay, so that was like, a semi-cliffhanger, but at least I resolved the other three cliffies, right? Sorry for the lack of a climatic battle between Sora and the Dark Triplets, but I got the feeling I was focusing to much on my OCs and so I decided to kind of move back and focus more on the KH characters. I'm going to try and do that for the next few chapters....though I believe we're nearing the climax of the story.....**

**That's right! I think, one more chapter, maybe two, and then the climax! And, hoo boy, I gotta tell you, it's a doozy.....**

**So, what do you think? Did you guess what Fawn's up to? What do you think of...everything? And what do you think is going to happen next! **

**Reviews people! Pretty please! Even if you just write one word or half a question mark, it still does the heart good!**

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p**


	13. Explanations of a Demented Kind

**Hm, it's been awhile hasn't it? Oh well, better late than never. **

**Okay, I actually really like this chapter. It was fun to write. I admit, there's not a lot of dialogue at first, but try to bear with me and actually read everything. I know some people just skim over parts that aren't dialougue. Don't do that. Please read everything. **

***Disclaimer **

**Lexaeus:.......**

**Me:......**

**Lexaeus:........**

**Me:......so.......**

**Lexaeus:........**

**Me:......right.....yeah...... **

**Lexaeus:.....**

**Me: Alright, that's it, you're fired. I don't own Kingdom Hearts! Just the plot! **

**Explanations of a Demented Kind**

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Sora drummed his fingers against his pant leg, his eyes cast downward as he fidgeted nervously. Kairi sat on his right side, her hand in his. She had changed clothes and was now wearing blue capris and a white tank top. Riku sat on Sora's other side, arms folded across his chest and eyes far away. He had also changed, into black jeans and a dark gray t-shirt with a black jacket overtop.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Sitting across from them were Yamato and Mari Mey, Kairi's father, Kaito, and Riku's mother, Lora.

Also in the room were Donald, Goofy and King Mickey, all three of them soliciting odd stares from the parents of their comrades.

The tense silence continued to fill the room.

Sora stifled a sigh and leaned back on the couch, trying to keep from tapping his foot on the floor. What were they waiting for? They were all here weren't they? The three of them –Sora, Riku, and Kairi-, their parents, and the odd animal visitors. Everyone that was needed to tell the story.

So why wasn't it being told?

Why were they all sitting here, being uncomfortable?

When his Dad had confronted them after the triplets and Fawn had disappeared, there had been lots of blushing and half mumblings from Sora, stony silence from Riku and weak, apologetic smiles from Kairi. It was the King who finally stated that: "Perhaps it's just about time for the Keybearers to tell their parents the truth."

That had led to more questions from Yamato and Sora had hesitantly began to explain when Goofy had logically suggested that maybe they should wait for _all _the parents before they began the story.

And so here they were.

They had met at Kairi's house, since it was the biggest and were now in the living room, spread out among two couches parallel to each other. The King and Goofy were standing, while Donald was sitting on a chair.

Riku and his mother had been the last to arrive and when they had Sora had expected the long conversation to begin.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

It hadn't.

Instead, they were all staring at each other awkwardly. It was almost like they were all afraid to start the tale, afraid of what might come up. Sora knew _he _was afraid. He didn't know where to begin explaining about Heartless and Hearts and Nobodies...and Roxas..._especially _Roxas.

_**Whaddya mean especially me?! **_

_You try telling your parents about the little voice in your head!_

_**Me no has the parents, but I see your point.**_

Sora stifled another sigh and looked at the clock on the wall.

They had officially been sitting in silence for fifteen minutes.

This was getting annoying.

"Uh..." began the Keybearer, blushing as all eyes turned on him. "I mean...."

"Yeah, you're right Sora, we _should _just start this thing and get it over with," concurred Kairi, finishing Sora's unformed sentence.

Riku didn't say anything, merely clenched his fists. He wasn't exactly proud of his part in most of this story.

Mr. Mey stiffened and Mari squeezed his hand reassuringly. Lora looked frazzled, but smiled at her son reassuringly. Kaito was as stiff as a board, glaring at his daughter.

"I agree! This silence was getting kinda awkward fellas!" said King Mickey cheerfully. All the parents immediately turned their gaze towards the mouse.

"Yes, you should start the explanations," said Yamato, glaring at Mickey, "And you should start with just who, and _what, _the f(oops!) are you!"

"Dad!" said Sora at the same time Mari exclaimed "Yamato!"

Mickey winced at the foul word, but waved a hand airily. "It's alright folks. I'm guessing you're kinda confused," said the King cheerfully.

" 'Kinda' is an understatement," growled Kaito, never taking his narrowed eyes at Kairi, who gazed back at him with tired eyes.

"Well, I'll start with explaining about a little creature called a Heartless," said the King.

"Heartless?" echoed the parents.

"What's that?"

"What do you mean _a_ 'Heartless'. That's an adjective!"

"You're making no sense, a creature without a heart? It couldn't function!"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Sora facepalmed and Riku sighed as he looked up in exasperation.

"Maybe," growled Kairi, "You should let him explain."

The parents all fell silent as they turned to look at the scowling girl.

"Thank you Princess!" said Mickey cheerfully.

"Princess?" growled Kaito. The mouse smiled and winked at Kairi's adoptive dad. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything!"

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

The explanation took a _long _time.

The first point, the Heartless, took so long to get across that Riku fell asleep while the King tried to explain to their parents what a Heartless was and how it was formed. Mari couldn't understand how it was anatomically possible to be without a heart, Yamato thought the whole thing was stupid and didn't make sense, Kaito fumed about how darkness wasn't something you could fall into and turn into some googly eyed creature as a result. Only Lora seemed to have a grasp on what the mouse king was saying and she patiently broke it down so that the other adults could wrap their head around it.

Next, worlds falling into darkness.

At this point, Kaito all but plugged his ears, completely against considering Darkness as some corporeal thing that could swallow worlds and people. Here, Kairi shouted out her father to 'shut up and open your goddamn mind for once!' This exclamation by the normally soft-spoken red-head shocked all the parents into silence, giving King Mickey enough time to adequately explain the concept.

What had happened on Destiny Islands on that night two years ago.

Here, Sora and Riku hesitantly took over the story, skirting nervously around the details. Sora tried not to go to deep into Riku going with the darkness, while Riku tried to sugar coat the fact that the three teens had actually been planning to run away. Their explanation could be summarized as something along the lines of:

"Heartless appeared, darkness was everywhere, Riku discovered that the darkness could move somewhere else, so he followed it to see if he could get help (fabrication by Sora). Sora was looking for Kairi, Kairi got kidnapped, Sora got attacked by Heartless, couldn't fight them, Sora found a key, could suddenly fight them, Sora fought a giant black blob of doom (here King Mickey corrected him. 'It wasn't a black blob of doom. It was a Darkside') and then got sucked into a black swirling vortex."

The parents all had the same expression of 'WTF?' on their faces.

Yamato then asked just how this key could enable his fourteen-year-old goofball of a son to fight these big bad Heartless.

Thus, began the explanation of the Keyblade.

King Mickey, Sora, Riku, and Kairi all summoned their blades, causing the parents to jump in shock. Only Yamato had had seen these before, and it had only been Sora's. Seeing the Golden Kingdom Key, Oathkeeper, Oblivion, Way to Dawn, and Blossoming Light before them was a bit much to take in.

King Mickey went on to explain how the Keyblade was unique, only to have Kaito point out, "If it's unique, then why the hell are there five of them?" This caused Donald to lose his temper and explode into a flurry of duck-esque fury. Kaito had hinted darkly at having roasted duck for dinner.

The parents had understood that the Keyblades were weapons that could destroy Heartless, and that all of their children had them. Simple enough. Onto the next point.

Sora quickly explained his meeting with Leon, Yuffie and Aerith in Traverse Town and how he had met Donald and Goofy. He then went on to explain the rest of his adventures, trying to downplay the danger, but instead, highlighting all the amazing things he'd seen and the friends he'd made.

When it came to his encounters with Riku, Sora basically lied. As far as he knew, Riku was nowhere to be found. Riku didn't really know what to say, and the silver-haired warrior decided that he'd tell his mother the truth when they got home. He didn't really want the other parents to hear all about his mistakes.

Of course, the two of them hit a snag when they got to the Hollow Bastion confrontation.

"Er....." stammered Sora, "Er......"

"Well, what is it! What happened next!" snapped Mari uncharacteristically, thoroughly enthralled –as well as horrified- by her son's story.

"Oh! I know!" said Goofy suddenly. "When we got there, we met Riku, and he was-," Both boys winced, "-hypnotized! That man, Ansem, had hypnotized him!"

_God bless you Goofy, _thought Sora with a sigh.

"So Sora was forced to fight Riku," continued the knight. "Right Sora?" Sora nodded hesitantly and picked up the story.

And of course the awkward part.

"Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean Kairi's heart was _inside you_?" growled Kaito, glaring at Sora with 'you better not have done anything unfit to my daughter you spiky-haired bastard' written all over his face.

Sora sweatdropped. "I don't really know all the details myself...." he said uncertainly.

"But, wait, if Kairi's heart was inside you....how did you get it out?" asked Lora.

Silence.

Sora sighed and nervously rubbed the back of his head.

_Ooh boy...._he thought as he sighed and began to tell the tale of how he'd given up his own heart to save Kairi.

"YOU DID WHAT?!!!!!" screeched Mari, leaping to her feet.

"You impaled yourself with a sword!" bellowed Yamato, quivering with rage. Sora let out a sound resembling, 'eep!' and hastily muttered something along the lines of:

"It'sfinebecauseIhadtoandKairirisaPrincessofHeartandweneededheranditwasn'tthatbadandI'mfineandKairisavedmewithherlightsoit'sallokay!"

They then went on to explain how Riku had 'fought free of the mind control' and given them time to escape. How Sora, Kairi, Goofy and Donald had retreated back to Traverse Town and met up with Leon and company, before Sora and his aids had headed back to Hollow Bastion to face off against the evil Ansem once and for all.

Sora didn't go into details about the fight, just that it had been something of a draw, and that Ansem had finally been defeated by light. Unfortunately, in order to stop darkness from consuming the light and Heartless to run wild....

"You got locked behind the door!" said Lora in horror, staring at her eldest son. Riku smiled sheepishly. "Well, King Mickey was with me...." he said, shuffling nervously.

"So after that the worlds began returning to normal, and I saw the spot where our world was reforming.....Kairi was there. So we said goodbye and the worlds separated and I went off with Donald and Goofy to find King Mickey and Riku," said Sora, exhaling as he finished the first large portion of the tale.

"Wait...." said Kaito. "So....that's when Kairi came back to the islands? That was a year and a half ago! Are saying that whole mess of craziness only took six months and we've still got another eighteen months of insanity to sit through?!"

Silence.

"Uh....yes," said Kairi with a smirk. She liked this half of the story better as she was less of a damsel in distress.

"I need alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol," muttered Yamato.

And so began part two.

Of course, there was the little issue of Sora not remembering what he had been doing for the first six months of this portion of the story....

"Wait...what? You were just....just asleep? That's all? You can't remember?!" growled Yamato.

"S-sorry! I swear I have no idea what happened! There was....we were walking towards this castle and then.....I dunno, we were waking up in these pod things and six months had gone by!" said Sora, flustered.

Nobody noticed Riku whistling innocently, while Kairi puzzled over why Namine was sending guilty vibes all over the place.

_**Ooh! Me! Me! This is my part of the story! Can I tell it? Pleasepleaseplease?! **_

Sora winced as Roxas pleaded to be let out.

"Um...." began the Keybearer, "Well, a portion of this story happened to a different person while I was still asleep so...I guess....that person....should tell it...." he said slowly.

Riku immediately understood who Sora was talking about and stifled an uncharacteristic giggle at the reaction they were sure to bring. Kairi blushed and smiled at Sora.

"Yeah, while....that person is talking I'll have...my person come out too," she said with a smile. The brunette smiled back.

"What are you talking about?" growled Yamato. Sora took a deep breath. "Roxas?" he said out loud, in more of a squeak than an actual word. Sora glowed blue for a few moments, before a blonde, spiky haired teenager slid out from him.

Mari screamed, Yamato and Kaito swore, and Lora gasped.

"Hi," said Roxas calmly, reverting back to the calm, collected teenager he was first known as.

Then, Kairi glowed gold, and Namine slid from her, hands behind her back and hair falling in front of her face in a rush of gold.

"I'm Roxas," said Roxas with a smile, "and this is Namine." Namine blushed and went to stand beside her boyfriend. "We're Sora and Kairi's Nobodies," she said softly.

Silence.

"WHAT THE F(oops!) IS THIS! WHAT THE F(oops!) ARE YOU THINGS! WHERE DID YOU COME FROM! WHAT THE F(oops!) IS A NOBODY!!!" bellowed Yamato, pointing an accusing finger at the two blondes.

Namine hid behind Roxas slightly, while the boy narrowed his eyes.

"My goodness! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth! There are children present! It's a wonder poor Sora over there didn't grow up with the vocabulary of a sailor! And then where would I be! I happen to pride myself on my vocabulary-,"

_By vocabulary does he mean his various insults? Or his Spanish and Japanese? _Thought Sora.

"-and I don't want it sullied by having to constantly being around cussy Mcswear swear! So please, compose yourself! Before I have to pin that mouth of yours shut with Oblivion!" admonished Roxas, soliciting astonished stares from the parents, and amused ones from Riku, Kairi, Namine, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey. Poor Sora just looked exasperated.

"Wh-wh-wha?" stammered Yamato, slightly flustered from the good telling-off he'd just received. Roxas smiled. "Have we stopped putting the censor monkeys into overdrive? Good! Now I can explain what a Nobody is and some of the stuff that happened while Sleeping Beauty over here was power-napping," he said with a wink at his Other.

And so began Roxas's tale.

Roxas did a pretty good job of explaining Nobodies, even getting sympathy from Lora and Mari after the whole revelation of not having a Heart.

"It...it's hard," sniffed the blonde boy, "But I keep going. I...I know I don't have a heart....and I suppose I shouldn't feel but, I try....and I just keep moving forward..."

Mari and Lora were almost in tears, Kaito and Yamato looked ashamed, Riku and Sora looked like they were going to die of laughter and Kairi and Namine looked extremely un-amused.

Roxas went on to explain his confrontations with Axel in his Twilight Town, meeting Namine, the revelation about his existence, and finally returning to Sora.

"So...wait. You're a part of Sora? Like, literally a part?" asked Lora. Roxas nodded and smiled. "Yup! We're....sort of the same person....well, not really. We're actually very different. I'm not sure about the whole thing myself..." he said with a shrug.

Roxas didn't say much about what had happened before Twilight Town and Riku acknowledged the blonde's omission of his brutal capture with a nod. Roxas stuck his translucent tongue out at the silverette in reply.

The tale was picked up again and transferred back to Sora.

This time around didn't take as long. The world's were mostly the same, with only a few new ones, and the parents had a decent grasp on the concept of Heartless and Nobodies. The explanation of how tough Organization XIII was had gotten a disbelieving snort from Kaito, who couldn't quite take them seriously. Maybe it was their strange names or the way Sora described them. For some reason, Kairi's father couldn't consider them credible villains.

"I can't believe a bunch of pansies caused so much trouble!" he chortled.

"Hey! We're not pansies! Asides from Marluxia and Demyx. They don't count. The rest of us are awesome! We kick ass okay?! We pwn the world!" said Roxas angrily.

Silence.

"Um....I'm just going to wangst over here. You know, depressed teen without a heart..." said the blonde with a melancholy look on his face.

And the story went on.

Kairi told her point of the story well, explaining how she'd felt like something was missing, her departure, kidnapping, and experiences with Axel and Saix. She tried not to go to much into Axel though, noticing Roxas stiffen every time she mentioned his name. When it came to telling the tale of the pyro's sacrifice, Sora tried to get through it as quickly as possible, brushing off his parents questions on the subject.

At the climatic reunion at The World that Never Was, Riku took up the story. The silver haired warrior, tired of dancing around the truth, decided to be honest, and explained how he had taken on Darkness to be strong enough to help Sora. Riku had expected to be reprimanded, but was surprised when Mari Mey thanked him profusely and Lora hugged him, saying how she 'just can't believe how mature you've gotten. How responsible. My sweet boy.'

They didn't delve too much into their reunion (Sora didn't want his dad to know he cried) and briefly explained their meeting with Namine and Roxas. Kairi had found meeting her Nobody exciting, while Sora had found it downright creepy.

Riku and Sora rushed through the next events, sensing the story's end nearing and wanting to just finishing the bloody thing already. Sora highlighted Riku fighting off the Darkness and discovering Way to Dawn, while Riku, being the cool, calm, wangsting teen he is, brushed it off.

Next came the separation of the boys from their teammates and the final battle with Xemnas.

By this time, the parents were fully into the story, and Yamato, Mari and Lora actually exclaimed aloud when they heard of their boys being separated from their comrades.

"What the F(oops!)! Are you serious! You're finally all together and the door F(oops!)ing closes!"

"I don't get it! why didn't you just run _faster?! _I don't get why these things happen to you Sora, why can't that Leon person, or that Cloud guy handle all this hoopla? Is it really necessary for two teens to have to go through all of this?"

"Oh Riku, you can't stay out of trouble can you? I can't believe the door closed on the two of you!"

And so on.

Finally, they came to the end of the story, with the boys arriving home and reuniting with Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and the King. King Mickey once again took up the story, speaking of how he had asked the teenagers to remain silent in an attempt to ward of enemies and to stop widespread panic. I mean, who wants to know their entire world disappeared? Better that everyone just thought it was a freakish storm that caused three teens to have amnesia.

And that was that.

Mostly.

"Okay. Wait, wait, wait. But that doesn't explain anything about those three Yahoos who attacked the town today! Were they, whatchamacallits, Nobodies?" inquired Yamato. All eyes, turned to Sora, who sweatdropped.

"Er, I don't really know a lot about them," he began nervously.

And, blushing the entire way, Sora spoke of his encounters with Fawn. He tried to leave out the whole 'seduction' part of their meetings, but Roxas (dear, dear Roxas) wasn't having any of it.

"Aren't you forgetting something Sora?" said the Nobody after Sora had briefly explained his meeting with Fawn in the cave. Sora blushed a deeper scarlet and glared at his Other.

"No, I don't believe I am. I don't know _what _you're talking about," he hissed.

Roxas grinned, and did what Roxas do best.

Ruin people's lives with absolute joy and abandon.

"She did _what?!" _screeched Yamato.

"Sora! How could you?! We raised you better than to go tonguing with some random hoe of the street!" admonished Mari.

"Hate....you....," growled Sora, glowering at Roxas, who winked cheekily back.

Sora went on to explain his dream and how Fawn had warned him about the Night Order. The parents had been about to dismiss it as 'just a dream', but then King Mickey had recounted the events that had occurred in the marketplace earlier that day. It couldn't be a coincidence, especially since Fawn herself had appeared and protected the teens.

"And....I guess that's it. Everything that's happened," concluded Sora.

Silence.

"Definitely need alcohol....," muttered Yamato.

"But it's over right? The worlds are saved, those Night Order people are gone, and you can all stay home? It's over?" asked Mari worriedly.

"No," said Sora quickly, "It's not. We can't just leave it knowing that there's another world out there being consumed with Darkness. It's clear that Fawn's world is in trouble, and I wouldn't be worthy of the title Keyblade Master if I just sat back and let it crumble. I have to go and help her," he said passionately, his eyes burning brightly.

Kairi, Riku, Donald and Goofy all looked at their friend in surprise. They hadn't been expecting that.

"What?!" screeched Mari Mey.

"Y-you can't be serious!" spluttered Yamato.

"Actually...." began the mouse king.

"You just got home and now you're planning to go chasing after some tramp?!"

"Really Sora, you may have saved the universe or whatever, but you're still a kid! You have school starting for God's sake!"

"Now, Mr. and Mrs. Mey...."

"Why can't those Loud and Cleon and Yuffa and Tifie people handle it? I mean they're obviously older and more experienced..."

"I'll be damned if I let you disappear on us again!"

"SHUT UP!!!!!"

Everyone fell into a stunned silence as they turned to face the mouse, who had climbed on top of a chair.

"Thank you!" he said as all eyes turned to him. "Now, Sora's parents, I know you're worried about your son and you don't want him to go, but you have to understand, this is his destiny. The Keyblade chose him for a reason, and it chose him for a purpose. That purpose is to serve and protect the weak and the innocent. We thought we had saved all the worlds from Darkness, obviously we were wrong. There is another world out there that is in need of our help. Of Sora's help. I'm truly sorry that you'll have your son taken from you again, but this is his destiny and more importantly, it's what he wants to do. You need to understand that, and you need to accept it."

Silence.

"Um, same goes for you Dad," said Kairi unexpectedly. "Obviously, if Sora's going, I am too. After all, I have a Keyblade as well!"

_And I need to make sure that raven-haired witch doesn't put her hands all over Sora, _she included internally.

"Mom?" said Riku softly, turning to look at Lora hesitantly. The silver haired hesitated. "Riku....I....I don't...." she said nervously.

Kaito twitched and turned towards Yamato.

"Are you standing for this?" he growled. Yamato shook his head furiously. "No way! There's no way you're leaving us again!" he exclaimed.

"But Dad-," began Sora. "No buts!" screamed Mr. Mey.

"Same to you Kairi. I don't care what you say, you're still a little girl and I won't have you going off to fight some war," said Kaito firmly.

Kairi jumped out of her chair. "I'm sixteen Dad! And I'm a Keybearer _and _a Princess of Heart! You can't just-,"

"I can, and I will," growled Kaito, in a voice that left no room for arguments.

"Mom?" asked Riku again, this time with a note of challenge in his voice.

Lora winced. "I'm sorry Riku, but I can't afford to lose you again. What would I do without you? And besides, I need your help with the kids....what would they do without their big brother?" she said with a sheepish smile.

Riku glowered in return.

"You guys are staying," said Yamato with a note of triumph in his voice, "And that's final."

**Ooh, the parents forbade the kids from going after Fawn! What'll they do? **

**Disobey the parents obviously. **

**This chapter was longer than I expected. Okay, so next will be a little lead up/filler chapter that will actually have some things that you need to know in it, and then CLIMAX! Or, rather, the start of the Climax. The Climax will probably be three or four chapters. Ooh, I'm so excited for the end of this story! I, personally, think it's an awesome ending. **

**Kays, you know the drill. Review. Review. Review! Tell me what you thought of the parents! Tell me what you thought of those explanations! **

**P.S., I realize some events that were explained aren't in chronological order. Blame it on Sora's brain that we all know was affected by some sort of falling object in his youth. **

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p**


	14. All's Fair in Love and War

**Yays! Chapter.....I don't know....fourteen? Okay, this chapter is a little filler-ish, but has lots of key points! So it's also sort of not. **

***Disclaimer **

**Vexen: Hello, I am- **

**Me: Hell no! Get the f*** out of my author's corner you creepy creeper! **

**Vexen: What? But-**

**Me: No! Begone! Quickly, before I summon my Keyblade!**

**Vexen: You don't have a-**

**Me: *summons the Spoon of Rusteth* **

**Vexen:....the Hell is that?!**

**Me: It's my Keyblade, the Spoon of Rusteth, or as I like to call it the rusty spoon of doom that will ensure that you will never ever never have children! Die creeper! Diediedie! **

**Vexen: *screams and runs away as he is chased by psychotic girl wielding rusty cutlery...***

**Thinking and Thoughts**

It was night.

It was a new moon, and cloudy as well, so it was almost pitch black on the islands. The waves were calm, lapping at the shore serenely, and a cool breeze moved the palm leaves softly.

It was close to 1:00 in the morning and not a thing was stirring, the entire area deep in slumber.

Sora tiptoed across the sand, casting furtive glances over his shoulder to where his house stood. The lights were all off, the doors were locked and for all purposes, the entire Mey family was deeply asleep.

Sora fought back an immense feeling of guilt as he thought of his parents, at home and completely oblivious to their son's desertion of them.

_No! I'm not deserting them! I'm just....there's stuff I have to do. But I'm not deserting them! I'm coming back! _

_**Yeah, and when you do you're facing hell three times over. Leaving when your parents FORBADE you! Damn Sora, what kind of son are you? **_

_Shut up! Just shut up! I didn't have a choice! Fawn's in trouble, I'm the Keybearer, what do you expect me to do? _

_**Leave the Succubus to burn. **_

_Why do you hate her so much? _

_**Call it a sixth sense. There's something about her that gives me chills. I got the same feeling the first time I saw Manse-Xemnas. **_

_Roxas, you're too superstitious, and what did you call Xemnas? _

_**Never you mind, darling, innocent Sora. **_

The brunette stifled a sigh and ended his mental conversation. He really didn't need Roxas's....Roxas-ness right now. His mind and heart were in enough turmoil without adding a psychotic blonde into the mix.

Sora would have liked to say that it had been a hard decision, the disobeying of his parents' wishes and the leaving of them a second time, but it hadn't been. It had been instantaneous. The moment Yamato and Mari had forbidden him from leaving, he had begun formulating a plan to sneak away. As luck would have it, as soon as the meeting was over the parents had left, sensing that their children needed to be left alone for awhile.

Big mistake.

As soon as they had left, Sora had turned to Mokcey and started discussing plans for their departures. Donald, Goofy, Riku, Namine, Kairi, and even Roxas had been a little surprised at how quickly Sora had gone against his parents wishes. The King hadn't seemed to be and had calmly said that the Gummi Ship would need a day or two to store up energy for the trip.

"Mundo Del Perso is very far," said Mickey in a low voice. "And it's steeped in so much Darkness....it will be hard for the Gummi Ship to make it through the veil without taking serious damage. It would be best if it was at full strength when we depart."

The King had seen apprehensive and troubled instead of his normal, cheerful self, but Sora had been too relieved at the time to notice.

The next two days had been rather awkward, the parents of the three Keybearers watching their children closely. Sora didn't think he'd sneezed without his Father giving him a suspicious look. To be fair, it had to be hard on Yamato, Mari, Lora and Kaito, learning that their children were seasoned warriors who had seen countless battles and been exposed to more than they themselves had been. And then, to hear that they wished to depart again! It was like they didn't even know the three youths.

Yes, the parents had been watching their children closely. Sora sighed as he approached the docks. It had been unnerving and he was glad to escape it, though he didn't even want to think about how his parents would react when they found him missing in the morning.

Sora stiffened as he sensed someone nearby, but relaxed as a warm feeling filled his chest, immediately identifying the person as Kairi. Sora smiled and turned as he saw the redhead approach him.

Kairi was dressed in an outfit similar to her pink and white one, except this one was black and blue. She was also wearing black leggings underneath and her hair was tied up in a ponytail. She looked older, more serious, and more battle ready.

Kairi smiled at Sora and held her hand out to him. "Ready to go?" she whispered, obviously trying to quell her growing nervousness. Sora nodded and took her hand, his face growing hot as he felt the Princess's hand tighten around his own.

_**You know Sora, you're going off to fight a war here. Not to sound cliché or anything, but wouldn't this be the perfect time for you to confess your undying love to Kairi? **_

_Roxas....don't start..._

_**No, seriously. You don't know how this whole thing is going to turn out. Stop being such a fraidycat! What are you so scared of? Just tell her how you feel! **_

Sora paused and frowned. What _was _he so scared of? Rejection? It was a possibility that he didn't want to consider, but how did he really know that Kairi felt anything for him? Roxas's assurances via Namine weren't enough to convince the teen that the Princess felt anything but friendship for him, and he was afraid to take a chance...

But he _was _the Keyblade Master. Wasn't his life all about running headfirst into risks? How could he falter in such a simple thing as to confess his feelings to the girl he'd known for most of his life? What made it so much more complicated? Was it because he was betting his heart on her acceptance? But even so, he'd lost his heart before...and yet....it was different.

But Roxas was right. Sora _didn't _know what was going to happen. They were going to a new world, with new risks and trials. Anything could happen. They were taking a big risk in going, so why not just add another risk to the list?

Sora stopped walking.

Kairi stopped as well, looking up at the brunette in confusion.

"What is it Sora? We should hurry, Riku and the others are probably already there," said the Princess.

Sora hesitated and then took a deep breath.

"Kairi...I-I have something...to tell you..." said the teenager hesitantly, a blush rising to his face. Kairi stiffened and looked up into Sora's deep azure eyes. "Sora?" she whispered, almost panicked.

"Um...Kairi...it's just that, I...I...think I'm...no, I _know _I'm...in love with you," said the Keybearer with a nervous chuckle.

Kairi froze.

_Oh no...._she thought in horror, _oh no no no. _

"It's just," continued Sora, oblivious to Kairi's reaction, "I get this...I don't know warm feeling whenever you're around and...Kairi, you're so amazing and I really....I really love you."

_No! _Cried Kairi inwardly. _Not the L word! Stop saying the L word! I'm not ready for the L word! Please Sora, just shut up..._

"So...yeah," said Sora, looking at his feet.

Kairi was as stiff as a board.

_Kairi....are you alright? _

_....Not really Namine. I told you before, I'm not ready for...love. I'm too young. I need some time to figure myself out first. _

_So...what are you going to tell Sora?_

"Kairi?" said Sora anxiously, his face rapidly losing colour. Kairi took a deep breath and looked up into Sora's eyes.

"Sora, I really really like you," began the Princess. Sora's heart lifted and a smile spread across his face.

"-but I'm not ready for a relationship or love or anything like that. I'm just...not ready. I don't know enough about myself to commit to another person. Please don't take it the wrong way, because Sora, you're amazing. I do really like you Sora but...not...love. I'm really sorry, but...no," said Kairi firmly, trying to quell the immense feeling of guilt she felt as she saw Sora's face fall into absolute desolation.

"Oh...okay..." whispered the brunette hoarsely, releasing Kairi's hand and letting his gaze fall to the ground, his whole body stiff.

Kairi winced and swore internally.

_Oh...oh jeez...look at him...Nami, did I make the right choice? _

_Kairi, only you can decide that. If you're not ready and don't know if you love him, then you shouldn't tell him that you do. You should be sure of yourself and of everything. _

_Yeah...you're right. But, I don't want things to be awkward; I still want to be friends. What should I do? _

_Well, what can you do to show him you still care? And that you'll still be here? _

Kairi thought for a moment, and then smiled.

"Sora?" said the Princess as cheerfully as she could muster. Sora looked up, his eyes shining with hope. "Yes Kairi?" he said excitedly. Kairi winced.

"Um, I still...don't want to...I still don't..." The melancholy look that quickly appeared on Sora's face told Kairi that he got the picture.

"But, I still want to be friends. I don't want this to be awkward. So..." Kairi dug into her pocket and pulled something out. Sora looked at it curiously, surprise driving sadness from his eyes. "Your lucky charm?" he said in surprise. Kairi smiled sheepishly as she looked down at the star-shaped object. "Yeah...brings back memories doesn't it? I want you to have it Sora, from me to you. There will always be the two of us, okay? Even if we're not...a couple, we'll still be together, no matter what," said the redhead.

Sora looked at the object, his eyes downcast, but calculating. After a few seconds, he gave a small smile and took the charm, placing it in the bag he kept his various keychains in. Kairi smiled back.

"Um, hey, I don't know if I'm interrupting anything, but I think we kind of have to go...now."

Kairi and Sora turned to see Riku standing impatiently behind them. Sora nodded, turning away from Kairi. "Yes," he said firmly. "Let's go."

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

The Gummi Ship.

It was Riku's first time being in one, and he had to admit, he was impressed. Looking at it from the outside, you wouldn't expect it to be the elegant yacht of a vehicle it was on the inside. The exterior of the ship greatly resembled several blocks of toys stacked atop one another, and it didn't look all that roomy. The interior, however, was much different.

The Gummi Ship was divided into three sections, the bow, the center, and the stern. The bow, of course contained the control room, from which the ship was steered. The center, surprisingly, contained an elegant kitchen, dining room, and lounge. Complete with a tableclothed table, stove, fridge, freezer, and everything a luxury kitchen needed. It also had a small lounge with comfy leather couches, a coffee machine and small music player. The stern contained the living quarters, no less then thirteen rooms. These rooms too, were that of a five-star hotel. With king-sized beds, closets, bedside table and a personal bathroom. It also had electricity and running water, plumbing as well, though god knows where the sewage went, as he had yet to see a septic tank.

Definitely not what you would expect.

Riku lay back on his bed, looking around the room with grudging admiration. He had to admit, the ship was pretty bad-ass. Looks like he owed Sora ten bucks.

Riku frowned as he thought of his best friend.

Yes, Sora. Sora was quite something wasn't he? The dashing, spiky-haired, optimist who made friends everywhere he went and who had saved numerous worlds. The blue-eyed wonder who had stolen Kairi's heart **(1)** and bore the name Keyblade Master with pride and just a little bit of arrogance.

Riku raised his hand and summoned Way to Dawn, observing it in the light.

The Keyblade...Sora's now, but it had been Riku's once, hadn't it? For the most fleeting of moments. When he had taken it from Sora, way back then. It had been his, originally meant for him to wield...but he'd proven himself unworthy of it...

And now, he had Way to Dawn, the weapon that symbolized his climb from the Darkness, back to the Light. A Keyblade. Not _the _Keyblade. But a Keyblade nonetheless. Riku had one, he should be happy, content. He stood on the same level as Sora...almost. Not quite. Sora was still the Master, and Riku had only a Keyblade he had made himself, through Darkness and determination.

Yes, Riku was better now, he had clawed himself out of the dark hole he had dug for himself and redeemed himself in the eyes of his friends...and with that came a nagging thought...was it possible that he had redeemed himself in the eye of the Keyblade?

It was thought that came to him more and more. If he truly had proven himself, and fought free of the Darkness, should such a situation arise, would the Keyblade come back to him? It was something Riku didn't want to think about, after all, the Keyblade belonged to Sora now, yet the idea kept returning to his mind...

"Hey Riku, The King wants to meet in the lounge before we take off."

Riku moved his eyes from his Keyblade to the brunette standing before him in the doorway.

"Okay, be right there," he dead-panned, dismissing Way to Dawn.

Sora didn't reply, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared.

Riku raised an eyebrow as he slid off the bed. What was up with him?

**xoxoxoxoxoxox**

Sora walked into the lounge, noticing with some surprise that he was the first one there.

_I guess King Mickey, Goofy and Donald are setting the coordinates so that we can leave as soon as we're finished talking...Riku should be here soon....Kairi...Kairi's in the kitchen ch-checking the supplies..._

_**Are...are you okay? **_

Sora blinked outwardly, a mild display of the startledness he felt at his Nobody's voice.

_Oh...Roxas...haven't heard from you in awhile..._

_**It's been like....fifteen minutes...**_

_Yeah....about....._

Just fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes between a bright young man about to profess his love to the girl of his dreams and a depressed teenager who had had his heart broken brutally.

_**............**_

_What, no snarky comment? _

_**...I'm sorry Sora...this is sort of my fault....I guess...I misread the vibes from Namine... **_

_Oh shut up would you? It's not your fault or Namine's. Neither of you can affect how Kairi feels. I just...have got to accept that she doesn't love me back..._

_**I'm really sorry Sora. **_

_Yeah. Whatever. _

Just then, Riku sauntered into the lounge, taking a seat beside Sora on the couch. The brunette didn't respond, until, of course, Kairi walked in from the door that led to the kitchen. Sora stiffened and lowered his gaze, his hands clenching into fists. Riku noticed the change in Sora's demeanour and raised a questioning eyebrow at Kairi who looked at her feet guiltily before taking a seat on Riku's other side.

Then, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey walked in from the door that led to the bow, the mouse king looking grim.

"Good," said Mickey, sitting down on the opposing couch with a sigh. "You're all here. We can begin right away."

Silence met this, surprising the bipedal animals slightly. Where was Sora's enthusiasm and Kairi's fiery excitement? The two of them were surprisingly quiet.

_As they should be, _thought Mickey dourly, _this mission will be the darkest one they have ever embarked on. _

"Alright fellas, I'm going to start by telling you a little bit about Mundo Del Perso," began the King with a sigh.

"Mundo Del Perso is a world entirely composed of Darkness. It was born from darkness and it grew from Darkness. How life began on that world I'll never know. How humans came to be in that dark atmosphere...if you can call them that.

"The natives of Mundo Del Perso...or The Lost World as it translates...were savages to say the least. In a world devoid of light, what more could you expect? They lived only to survive, with no morals or decent thoughts. At some point however, a group of these savages stumbled upon the Heart of The Lost World...and a fraction of its power was released.

"This power brought a bit of light to Del Perso. Just a little bit, but enough to bring its inhabitants somewhat out of the deep Darkness they had festered in. The Heart then disappeared, moving to a more secure location. The light brought a semblance of knowledge and decorum to the land, and a pair of teens, who caught on quicker than most, quickly took the opportunity. They used the confusion caused by the arrival of Light to establish themselves as monarchs of the 'new world', dubbed Della Luna. That means, 'of the moon'. I'm guessing this name was chosen because before the Light came, there was no moon (or sun) in Del Perso, but after the release of the Heart, a permanent full moon appeared in the sky. It became a symbol of sorts.

"Keep in mind of course, that Del Perso was still steeped in Darkness. A very small amount of light had escaped from the Heart and the land was still dark and filled with shadows. The people of Del Perso, after this first taste of Light, were hungry for more. They wanted to bring their land ever more out of the Darkness, which I suppose, was their right. After all, who wants to live in Darkness forever?

So, under orders of the Moon King and Queen, an elite group of soldiers dubbed 'Moon Warriors' began searching for the Heart.

"But, of course, where there is a power such as the Heart of the world, there are those who want to use it for evil. Those who want to use it to bring back the Darkness so that they could control it. This was the Night Order.

"A war began in Del Perso, and the two sides began delving deeper into the Darkness that surrounded them, learning how to harness it to fight one another. The Moon King, Luciano I believe he was called, learned how to summon 'Lupisomra' Or 'Shadow Wolves'. Creatures born completely of the Darkness, yet alive somehow. Not just mindless pawns like Heartless. They were alive, with blood and muscles and a heart, yet there was not a speck of light to be found within them.

The Night Order too, summoned creatures of Darkness, though these took the form of large Dragon like Cat creatures, called "Gattigo".

The war waged for over a century, and as it did, more players were cast in. The Night Order grew, as did the land of Della Luna. The King and Queen had two children, the Sa-Lua and the Pe-Lua, Moon Princess and Moon Prince, and the four of them began known as the Reale Lialaluna, Royal Family of the Moon. The Moon Warriors became an elite guard and the land prospered.

However, the war grew more savage, and more bloody and the Night Order began to increase in numbers at an alarming rate.....the Queen was killed under mysterious circumstances.....the Moon King fell ill.....the Moon Prince disappeared....and the leader of the Night Order summoned more and more Gattigos, but the numbers of Lupisomra dwindled...this is the point we are at now. Mundo Del Perso is in a perilous state, with only the Moon Princess left to govern Della Luna and defend her people against the Night Order."

There was silence in the lounge.

"Gawrsh your Majesty, that's horrible. And the Moon Princess, that's Fawn?" asked Goofy, scratching his head. The Mouse King nodded.

"King Mickey...why wasn't this one of the worlds that Sora was sent to protect? And why wasn't it one of the worlds that Organizaton XIII targeted? It seems dark enough to provide plenty of Heartless," asked Riku.

The King hesitated and then sighed. "Well Riku, simply put, the Darkness in Del Perso is so great that it's become a part of the people there. They've got so much Darkness in their hearts already that 'falling into darkness' wouldn't affect them. They can't turn into Heartless...because their hearts are already darkened beyond belief. That's why Organizatoin XIII wasn't interested in the world. After all, they were after the Hearts released by Heartless, were they not? There was nothing for them to find on Del Perso. As for why Sora wasn't sent there...to be honest. I didn't think there was anything to be done for the world. It may have been presumptuous of me, but I thought the place a bit too dangerous for you to venture Sora," said Mickey.

Sora didn't say anything, seemingly deep in thought. He then closed his eyes and nodded.

"Alright, we can't waste anymore time. Fawn's world....it's crumbling rapidly. And she's fighting it all alone. I have to go and help her! We have to leave now!" he said passionately. Kairi couldn't help but wince at Sora's fervid concern for Fawn, cursing herself for being a bipolar hypocrite as she did. She'd turned him down. She had no right to be jealous of another girl. Hiding her feelings, the Princess nodded her consent. "We've got to help them! Imagine, living in perpetual Darkness....it's to horrible to comprehend!" she said with a shudder. Riku smiled and also nodded. "Yeah. Your Majesty, it's our job to help worlds in trouble. There's no such thing as 'too dangerous', we're ready for anything!" he exclaimed.

King Mickey looked at Donald and Goofy who nodded. The Mouse smiled.

"Alright then! Let's head off!"

**YAYYYYYYYYYY! Finished! Now I have the climax, which will be about two chapters, and then I think three concluding chapters. Ooh, I'm so excited! **

**Okay, slightly filler-ish, but with lots of important points. Alright, I'm going to write the next two chapters before I post the first one. I don't want there to be a long wait between the two climax chapters, so I want to have them both done before I post the first one. AS a result, there may be a bit of a wait until the next update, but I'll try my best! **

**REVIEW!!!! Were you expecting Kairi's reaction? Tells me! **

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p**


	15. The Lost World pt 1

**Sorry for lateness! I decided to write the last four chapters in one go, and these next two took awhile. Chapter 15 and 16, the really big explosive chapters, though 17 is pretty sick too. I'll post chapter 15 and 16 today, and 17 and 18 tomorrow. Then...I think that'll be the end....for now...**

***Disclaimer**

**Don't own Kingdom Hearts, however, I own Del Perso and its inhabitants, and the plot of this fanfic. **

**The Lost World pt.1**

To say that Fawn was happy would be an extreme understatement.

To say that the dark princess was ecstatic beyond belief might have been closer, but in reality, no words could describe the feelings of joy that were coursing through the teen girl.

Fawn lay on her bed, twirling a lock of raven hair around her finger. Her golden eyes were half closed as she mentally connected with the Shadow Wolves she had dispatched to monitor the fringes of the Night Order's ever growing territory.

The wolves had found something.

Fawn smiled, gazing at the new arrival to the barren landscape through her wolves' eyes.

As soon as she had seen the odd ship and had felt odd feelings of joy and accomplishment rush through her, the Sa-Lua had known immediately that her plan had worked.

Fawn suppressed a giggle as she watched the Keybearer and his friends exit the ship, gazing at the landscape around them in horror.

He was _here. _He'd _come. _

It was unfortunate, the fact that his friends were here too, but it was nothing more than a minor inconvenience at most. Easily dealt with.

Fawn smiled again, watching her wolves advance towards the erratic group through their shadowed eyes.

After all, it wouldn't be all that hard to split them up, and then...

Fawn watched Sora's face, his bright blue eyes hard with resolve. Resolve to help _her._

"All mine," purred the Moon Princess, laughing cruelly.

**xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxo**

"Oh...my god," whispered Kairi, her hands over her mouth as she stared at the land around her in absolute shock. Goofy and Donald were dumbstruck, their jaws almost at their feet. Riku and King Mickey looked grim, the mouse shaking his head slowly as he observed the landscape.

Sora looked about, his eyes narrowed. He remembered the dream he had had, where he had been in Della Luna with Fawn. The land wasn't the same, it was less war-torn, and there were no frightened civilians running around, but the same Darkness that had been present in the vision was there now.

Scorched, black earth, furrowed and bleak. No vegetation could be seen for miles, with a dark gray sky and a glowing moon that cast a ghostly pallor on the deadened landscape. Sparsely distributed around the landscape were a few clusters of broken buildings reaching up with jagged tops into the wretched sky. In distance, a momentous rock face could be seen, dotted with holes and with small fires rising up from in front of it. While it was extremely tall, it was not very wide, and stretched a little under a kilometre from east to west. Nor was it extremely long, stretching a little over a kilometre north to south. A top of it, was a large structure, poorly-built with rocks strewn about it and hanging precariously close to the edge close to the west edge. The structure was completely black, and shrouded in an ominous aura.

The land was ominous, dark, and devoid of life. It filled Sora with such a feeling of dread and Darkness that he lost his breath.

The brunette gritted his teeth.

"Come on," he said, turning around. "We should start moving. We have to find Fawn as quickly as possible."

Riku looked doubtful. "This place...is really something. I'm not sure if it's smart to start charging off without having _some _idea of the landscape and the dangers. We could run straight into the Night Order if we're not careful," said the silver-haired teen.

Sora glared daggers at his best friend. "So, you just want to dance around the place and waste time?! Fawn could be in trouble! We have to go NOW!" he shouted, eyes burning furiously. Riku's eyes flashed and he glared back at his friend. "Look Sora. I know you're afraid for that girl and all, but we've got to be careful! How are you going to help her if you get killed after being here for five minutes? Use your head!" snarled the silver haired warrior, taking a threatening step towards the brunette.

Sora blinked and took a step back. He hadn't seen Riku get angry like that since...

"Hey! Both of you, stop it! If you're just going to fight, then we should just go home! Riku, you're right, but try using some tact, and don't lose your cool so easily. Sora, I know you're worried, but you can't let your emotions control you! Both of you, calm down!" shouted Kairi, glaring at her two friends. Sora stiffened, muttering a sorry before turning his head away to look out into the distance, his eyes burning. How could Kairi tell him to get his emotions in check? She was the reason they were so out of wack in the first place.

Riku appeared to relax, but remained tense on the inside, looking at Sora with appraising eyes.

_He can be so stupid sometimes. _He thought to himself. _He always lets his emotions control him... _

"Okay fellas," said King Mickey, chuckling nervously. "Now while Riku's right about not rushing off anywhere, it probably isn't wise to just sit here. We should scout the area and then choose a direction to depart in as soon as possible,"

Sora turned his head to look back at his companions and nodded, his eyes blazing. Riku stifled a sigh and then froze. Kairi, Sora, and the King also froze a pained look on each of their faces.

Sora summoned his current Keyblade, Fenrir **(A/N I just got into FFVII and I love Cloud...)**, while Kairi summoned Blossoming Light, King Mickey summoned the Golden Keyblade and Riku summoned Way to Dawn.

"Well that was fast!" squawked Donald, electricity crackling at the tip of his staff. Goofy crouched down, shield at the ready, glowing with a mystic blue light. "Let's get 'em! Hyuck!" said Goofy.

The five warriors stood in a battle stance, waiting for their opponents to appear.

It didn't take long.

Ten Shadow Wolves rose up from out of the ground, swirling masses of dark energy with glowing red eyes. They were identical to the ten that Sora, Riku and Kairi had faced on Destiny Islands.

Sora narrowed his eyes. Wolves again. Fawn had been riding a wolf that day those freaky triplets had attacked them, and wolves had been fighting on Fawn's side during that dream he'd had. But wolves had attacked them the day he'd first met Fawn, and they were about to attack them now...were these Shadow Wolves different then the wolves of flesh and blood that Fawn seemed to be associated with? Or was their something Fawn-

Sora's thoughts were interrupted as the Shadow Wolves attacked.

The wolves sprang with no warning, leaping at the group with their great maws open wide. Sora slashed out with Fenrir, sending one flying backwards. He kicked another one away from his face before stabbing at it. Riku parried the jaws of one wolf, flinging it back. Another wolf sprang at him and he sliced open its chest as it approached. He then leapt at it, not giving it time to recover before attacking it viciously with Way to Dawn. Donald zapped a wolf with a powerful Thundaga, while Goofy sent another flying of into the difference with his magically reinforced shield. King Mickey was a miniature whirlwind, attacking two wolves from all directions, not giving them a chance to attack him back. Kairi defended against a wolf that was snapping at her furiously. Hearing something behind her, the Princess whirled around in time to see another wolf lunging towards her. Raising her hand in panic, Kairi released a sphere of light that hit the wolf square in the chest. It howled for a brief moment, before dissipating into wisps of Darkness, floating through the air.

_What was _that?Thought the Princess, ducking a swipe from the other wolf. _How did I do that? I didn't think I could use magic without my keyblade...._

**xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxo**

"Wh-what the hell did she do to my wolf?" screeched Fawn, golden eyes narrowing in anger as she saw one of her eyes fade and dissipate. "That bitch! No one messes with_ my _wolves. This has gone on long enough. Time to break up the party and take what's mine," she growled, closing her eyes and concentrating.

**xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxo**

Sora cursed as a Shadow Wolf he could have sworn he defeated reformed and leapt at him again. He shot a firaga at it and cleaved another wolf up the middle, grimacing as the black, shadowy liquid spilled from it and onto the ground. The brunette ducked as a Thundaga flew over his head, hitting a wolf to his right.

"Hey! Watch where you're aiming those!" he yelled to Donald, who squawked irritably. Riku grimaced as he slashed open a wolf, and began hacking at another one, he yelped in pain as he felt jaws clamp around his leg and turned around to see the wolf he'd just defeated attacking him.

_Damn, what's with these things? _He swore internally.

Riku was about to stab the offending creature, only to see it start glowing and then explode, dissipating into wisps of Darkness. The silver haired warrior looked up to see Kairi smiling at him, her palms glowing.

_What is that? _Wondered Riku, before shaking his head, and casting a quick Curaga, then turning back to the fray.

Kairi destroyed another wolf with her Light attack, watching with satisfaction as it disappeared.

_That's the fourth one I've gotten,_ she thought triumphantly,_ and they're all staying dead! I just have to get those other six and- _

And that's when all hell broke loose.

A large, dark shadow formed on the ground, directly under the area Sora and his comrades were fighting. Simultaneously, Sora, Riku and Kairi all thought, _Shit! _

From the Darkness, twenty new Shadow Wolves arose, all of them significantly bigger than the first batch, and with more distinguishable features. They looked more corporeal and less like big blobs of darkness, with fur like features around their faces and paws and eyes more of a mahogany than blood red.

They looked much more dangerous.

Not missing a beat, the wolves leapt at the group in one giant wave, making for a truly terrifying sight. Sora swallowed nervously and raised Fenrir, eyes narrowed.

_**Watch out! **_Cried Roxas in his mind.

Sora whipped his head to the side in time to see one of the original Shadow Wolves leaping at him. Without thinking, he raised his hand. Sora felt his entire arm heat up, before a large jet of flame burst from his palm, toasting the wolf and sending it flying backwards in a ball of flame.

_Oh...I did that thing again...._

_**That's great! Now if you could turn around to face the giant monstrosity about to eat your face...**_

Sora turned to see one of the new wolves about to crush his head in its giant jaws. He raised Fenrir and blocked its attack, its mouth clamped on his weapon. Sora winced as its paws pressed down on his arms, claws digging into his skin. The wolf continued to press down and blood began to run down Sora's arms. With a shout, the Keybearer's hands and arms grew red hot, the Keyblade with it, and a huge burst of flame erupted in the wolf's mouth and paws. The great beast howled and leapt backwards, spitting out flames, smoke, and blood.

Sora gasped and fell to his knees, before quickly raising Fenrir to fend off the attack of another wolf. He than raised his other hand and tested out his new skill, shooting a jet of snow and ice at a jumping wolf. The creature immediately froze and fell to the ground, shattering into countless pieces.

Sora was breathing out, feeling drained and tired.

_Gah...forgot how much...doing that drained me..._

_**Yeah, that's great, kind of in the middle of battle here! **_

Sora shook his head and rose to his feet.

Or tried to.

The brunette looked down to see his knees and legs stuck in the Darkness that had formed under the group. His legs were stuck fast...and they were sinking.

Sora let out a yelp and tried to do an Aero and fly away, but he didn't budge.

"Um, help?! Someone?!" said Sora a little panicked as he placed his hands on the ground to try and push himself upwards.

Big mistake.

Sora let out an indignant squeak as his hands began to sink as well.

The wolves had leapt straight into the center of the group, forcing them apart from each other. The King was a ways away, beset by several wolves, but holding his own. Kairi too, had been forced away, though Donald was with her and Goofy wasn't too far away.

Riku shot several Dark Firaga's in quick succession at a group of wolves, watching in satisfaction as they howled in pain. He frowned as he heard someone squeal **(A/N lol, Sora you pansy)** and turned around.

Riku's eyes widened and he facepalmed.

The dark warrior fought his way through a crowd of snapping wolves, sending them flying backwards with firaga's and slashing at them until the leapt back. He cast a Dark Reflega around himself to protect from the wolves trying to attack his back and continued to fight his way towards his friend.

Sora was sunk up to his waist and past his elbows, still trying in vain to free himself as he sank steadily deeper.

Riku sighed in exasperation as he regarded his best friend.

_He can be such a moron, _he thought in frustration, _how the heck did he manage to get himself into that mess? Nobody else is sinking. And he's completely vulnerable to attacks....but the wolves seem to be leaving him alone...that's weird, you'd think they'd be going after him the most...unless they don't want him harmed...or unless that thing he's sinking into is a Dark Portal and they've almost got him in their clutches! Dammit! _

Riku increased his speed and jumped, clearing a large crowd of wolves with an extravagant backflip to land beside the brunette.

"Oh, hi Riku! As you can see, I'm having some trouble," said Sora with a panicked chuckle, trying to keep his chin clear of the mass of Darkness that now engulfed most of his body.

"Dammit, Sora!" shouted Riku irritably, putting a leg on either side of his trapped friend and reaching down to grab the hood of his jacket. Cursing under his breath, the silver-haired warrior began to pull as hard as he could, grunting in surprise when Sora didn't budge an inch.

_Uh-oh, _he thought, _this isn't good. _

Just then, the pull on Sora increased dramatically and the Keyblade Master was yanked into the Darkness with a startled yelp. Riku swore but didn't relinquish his hold on Sora's hood, and as a result, was yanked off his feet to be pulled headfirst into the Darkness after his friend.

**xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxo**

"Yeeeees!" squealed Fawn, jumping off her bed to twirl around her room with a huge smile. Kiki watched her mistress, head tilted to the side. "All goes well My Lady?" she asked. Fawn turned to face her Lupisomra and smiled, gold eyes glittering. "All goes _perfectly _Kiki. Absolutely wonderful! Haha! Take that Myris!" she said triumphantly. Then, Fawn's grin faded. "It's too bad, about that silver haired boy, but I'll think of something. Right now though, I've got to go meet the Unlocker! Kiki nodded as she rose to her feet. The wolf paused as she turned towards the door, and turned her head back to her mistress. "Lady Sa-Lua, are you going to dismiss the wolves you summoned?" she asked slowly. Though her mistress was very proud of them, Kiki still didn't trust these new, relatively untested wolves. They were too new, and without enough reason in them. Really, they were simple mindless blobs of Darkness, destroying anything and and everything unless they were reigned in.

Fawn frowned and rolled her eyes. "I want to keep those other guys occupied so that they don't mess anything up, but those new wolves are a bit too unpredictable at the moment, so I'll just leave my original Shadow Wolves to deal with them," she said, half closing her eyes as she dismissed the new, better formed wolves.

_Better formed, _she thought, _but unpredictable. They are closer to Lupisomra and may have some intelligence and reasoning. I want to be able to...talk with them before sending them out unsupervised. Their minds are conflicted at the moment, and I don't want them clearing when I'm not paying attention. It's better to stick with the originals for now. _

Fawn sighed and summoned some more of the original Shadow Wolves, frowning as she felt some of her strength leave her.

_I've summoned a lot, _she thought, _but those should keep those yahoos and the Princess bitch busy until I can think of a way to get rid of them permanently. Damn, I wish they hadn't come. Oh well, things are still going great._

Fawn let out a deep, satisfied breath and smiled, opening a Corridor of Darkness with ease. "I'm so close," she whispered as she walked through, entire body quivering with anticipation.

"Watch me Father, I'll make you proud."

**xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxo**

Kairi blinked in surprise as most of the wolves surrounding them sank back into the Darkness underneath them and disappeared.

"WHAAA?!" squawked Donald, looking about him in confusion. Kairi frowned and then winced as a Shadow Wolf sliced open her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she cast a Light Firaga from Blossoming Light, sending the wolf tumbling backwards, before casting a Curaga.

"Don't let your guard down, the original ones are still here!" she shouted to Donald and to Goofy, who had fought his way to stand beside the Duck and the Princess.

The immense masses of wolves now gone, Kairi began looking for her two childhood friends, feeling a deep sense of dread growing in her gut.

There were five shadow wolves surrounding her, Donald and Goofy, and another five surrounding the King, who was quite a ways away, but where were the boys?

Kairi felt like someone had punched a hole in her stomach; she felt sick and queasy. The last time she'd felt like this was when she'd been forced to use a Corridor of Darkness; Princesses of Light and Darkness don't mix well, but she wasn't using a portal now, nor was she submerged in any greater amount of Darkness than she had been five minutes ago. If anything, she was submerged in _less _Darkness, with the multitudes of shadow wolves having disappeared.

Then it hit her.

_Sora, _she gasped internally, _something must have happened to him! _

"Princess! Watch out!"

Kairi snapped back to reality as Goofy's voice pierced her thoughts.

Her eyes widened.

Where there had once been five Shadow Wolves, there were now at least fifteen, snarling and snapping.

Kairi swore and brought Blossoming Light up into a ready position.

"Donald! Goofy!" The duck and the dog turned their heads to see their kind backflipping over wolves and hopping on their heads until he was only a few metres away from them.

"Yes your majesty?" quacked Donald, zapping several wolves with a powerful thundaga. Mickey watched grimly as three wolves he had just struck down reformed and began attacking Goofy. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but Sora and Riku are gone," he said, jumping over two wolves to land with his Keyblade pointing down, on top of another one, stabbing it straight through until the point of Mickey's weapon dug deep into the Earth. The mouse king pulled it out and cartwheeled away to land beside Goofy. Donald and Goofy looked at each other, and then looked around, momentarily forgetting the battle.

"Gawrsh," said Goofy scratching his head, "Where'd they-,"

"WAHHHH! WATCH OUT!" squawked Donald, quickly freezing several wolves that had been leaping at the gentle knight. Goofy yelped and then immediately rejoined the battle, hitting wolves left and right. Kairi ducked as a wolf went flying over her head and let out a little giggle before blocking the teeth of a lunging wolf. She winced as another one raked its claws down her left shoulder and screamed when another clamped its jaws around her leg. She stabbed the one on her leg with Blossoming Light and sent a blast of her Light attack at the other one. Kairi gasped and staggered back. She weakly raised her Keyblade, attempting to cast a Cure, but gasped and lowered her weapon immediately.

_....I'm too tired...I can't use magic...why am I so tired? Usually I can keep using magic for a long time, longer than Sora even...._

_Maybe it's our wounds? _

_No....it's not that...could it be that Light attack I've been using? I did feel really drained after using it each time...maybe it takes up more energy..._

"Donald! Goofy! I want you to take Kairi and get out of here!" called the mouse king.

"WHAAA?!" cried Donald in disbelief.

"Gawrsh your majesty, now why would we-,"

"There's not time! You guys can't sense it yet, but there's an extremely powerful Dark presence quickly approaching. Sora and Riku have disappeared and Kairi's hurt. Donald, I want you to use transportaga to get yourself, Kairi and Goofy out of here. Look for the boys. I'll delay the Dark presence in its pursuit. Because it is almost certainly after Sora," said Mickey, looking off into the distance.

Goofy and Donald loudly voiced their complaints, while still wacking down wolves. Protecting herself in an Aero, Kairi began tearing off strips of clothing to bind the wounds on her arm and leg. The Princess's eyes narrowed as she heard the mouse king's words.

It was true, she could feel something oppressive, like thunder, hanging over the air. A very strong source of Darkness was fast approaching.

"Listen fellas, I know you don't want to leave me, but I'll be fine. Remember last time?" said the King with a wink. Donald frowned as he remembered having to leave his King behind the Door to Light. Mickey kicked a wolf away, decapitating another two in one mighty swing.

"Please guys, go. I'll be fine! I am a King after all," said Mickey with another wink.

Sending another few wolves flying, Goofy turned back to his king, scratching his head. "Well, if that's what y'really want Your Majesty..."

Donald quacked in frustration, sending an extra powerful thundaga rippling through the air, disintegrating ten wolves at once.

"Quick! Before they reform!" he squawked, beckoning Goofy and Kairi to him. The bipedal dog helped the Princess to limp over to the duck and the three of them joined hands, all the while casting anxious glances at the mouse that was keeping the remaining Shadow Wolves at bay.

With a last, regretful look at his king, Donald waved his staff over the heads of himself, Goofy and Kairi and shouted out the spell.

"TRANSPORTAGA!"

**Review! Or not. I really want reviews for the two chapters after this, so if not reviewing this chappie means you'll for sure review the next two, then don't review~ **

**xoxo, natcat5, ;p**


	16. The Lost World pt 2

**The Lost World pt.2**

"Oof!"

Sora landed with a thump, face first in the dust. He yelped as something heavy fell on top of him, knocking the wind out of him. Sora bucked whatever it was off of him and rolled over onto his feet, summoning Fenrir.

"Ow! Dammit Sora!" snapped Riku, rubbing his back where it had hit the ground after Sora had flung him. Sora blinked and then dismissed Fenrir, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh, sorry Riku. Hehe...." he trailed off at the absolutely murderous look his friend was giving him.

_**If looks could kill....**_

_Tell me about it. _

"Ugh, whatever. Where are we?" asked Riku, leaping to his feet. Sora frowned and observed his surroundings.

The landscape was very similar to what they had just been transported from. Flat, barren and scarred by war. The area looked slightly more burned out then the previous one, with giant bombed out craters and deep furrows with dark red marks all over the surrounding area. In the distance, a large ridge could be seen, the tip of a palace like structure just poking over it. Behind the two boys was the large cliff that they had seen at their previous location, but it was much closer than it had been before and there were no holes dotting the cliff face.

"I think we got teleported to the other side of that cliff," commented Riku dryly, observing the large castle hanging precariously at the edge of the cliff. It had been on his left side before he'd been teleported; now it was on his right.

Sora didn't say anything; he was still observing the surrounding landscape with narrowed eyes.

This landscape was similar to the one that he had seen in his dream with Fawn, the only difference being that in the dream, the area Sora had seen had been in between the ridge and palace, where as now, he was in between the ridge and the cliff. The area was mostly the same though, war-torn and sad, with a few crumbling buildings here and there.

The two boys stood in silence for several long minutes, taking in the grimness of the landscape.

"We should try to get back to Kairi and the others," said Riku finally, looking up at the sky in an aloof manner. At Kairi's name, Sora immediately snapped back to attention.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, Kairi. Right. We should try to find them. Our best bet I guess would be to go to the other side of the Cliff....it'll take a long time though...."

Riku sighed. Delays. And he really didn't want to stay here any longer than he had to.

In truth, the Dark warrior was surprised. He had been expecting some sort of trap. Why suck Sora through a Dark Portal just to leave him in the middle of nowhere, with no ambush, no trap, nothing but barren wasteland? What was the point? It made no sense!

Stupid Sora, getting them sucked into such a horrible situation. Really, he could be so dumb....it was a wonder that he was allowed within five feet of a weapon as magnificent as the Keyblade...

"Riku...."

Riku turned to face his friend, face impassive. "Yes Sora?"

Sora had an odd look on his face, slightly dazed, and very confused. "I...I don't...I feel weird..." he said with a giggle.

_**Uh-oh, I smell a Succubus...**_ said Roxas from within Sora's mind.

_I know...ugh Roxas, it's already starting! What should I do? _

_**Just, um, think of Kai-...oh, um, never mind. I guess that won't work anymore. **_

_..........No....it will still work. I still love her, even...if..._

_**Um, right. Okay, just remember, this chick is definitely not telling you something. We can't trust her.**_

_...Okay, I'll try. Can you help me Roxas? I really need to keep a level head here, and she..._

_**Say no more, fair Other. As I am too strong to succumb to the Succubus's dirty tactics, I shall gladly help you, who is extremely susceptible, to evade them. **_

_.....Thank you?_

As if right on cue, a dark portal opened.

Fawn stepped out.

Sora had to fight back a smile as he saw her, trying to concentrate on all his suspicions surrounding her, and the fact that Kairi, whether she loved him or not, was somewhere in this horrid land without him there to protect her. It was hard though, Fawn's intoxicating golden eyes were staring right at him, hope and triumph in her gaze. She was wearing a long sleeved black shirt that fell to her knees. The shoulders were bare and the sleeves were reinforced with some kind of leather. She was also wearing long dark gray pants made of the same kind of leather. A silver tiara sat in her mass of wild hair, looking very out of place in the black forest.

Riku tensed, his green eyes narrowing at the sight of the Princess. There was no mistaking the Dark waves floating off the girl, the cruel intent behind her seemingly genuine smile. She was a creature of Darkness, there was no mistaking it. What was Sora thinking, coming all this way to help _her? _

"Sora," she whispered, walking forward hesitantly. "I can't believe you came."

Sora took an eager step towards her...

_**Kairi!**_

_..._ before stopping dead in his tracks.

"I promised I'd help you didn't I," he said gruffly, looking at his feet. Fawn seemed startled by his gruffness, and her eyes narrowed for a second, anger flashing across her face. Then, it was gone, replaced by a look of hurt.

"Y-yes, you did," she said meekly. "But...do you really want to? Because if you don't, you should leave. My people are at war, and if you aren't completely committed to help them then you'll just get in the way!" she said, her temper flaring up unexpectedly.

Sora looked like someone had stabbed him. He ran towards Fawn, not stopping until there were only a few inches between them.

"Fawn," he said seriously, "I do want to help you, so much it scares me, but you're hiding so much...there's so much you're not telling me...I want to help you, but I need to trust you first, and I can't do that if you're keeping secrets."

Riku's eyes widened in surprise. Was Sora actually being...serious? Huh. Would wonders never cease.

Fawn blinked and blushed at the close proximity with the brunette. "You're right," she said, looking away, "I have been hiding a lot. And if I want you to fight for me, I should be straight with you," the Dark Princess looked back up at Sora. "So, please come back with me to Lacio Della Luna...the Palace of the Moon. It's my home...my base of operations. I can explain everything to you there," she said, reaching up with one hand to gently touch Sora's cheek. Unconsciously, Sora leaned in to the touch, his eyes half closing as he and Fawn got closer and closer....

"AHEM."

Sora jerked backed from Fawn as Riku's loud cough startled him. Fawn blinked and turned her head towards the silver-haired warrior, looking extremely irritated.

_And this is why I wanted Sora to come alone, _she thought irritably, _outside influences weaken my power. Of course, even if this silver-haired nuisance wasn't here, I'd still have to deal with Roxas...._

"I'm sorry, _Fawn, _but Sora and I can't go with you just yet. You see, we have some comrades that we were separated from, and it's sort of necessary for us to find them before we do anything else. So sorry, but you'll have to wait," said Riku coldly, his green eyes smouldering as he locked gazes with the Dark Princess. Fawn was almost shaking with rage, surprised by Riku's brazen impertinence.

_How...how dare he? Come here and ruin all my carefully laid out plans...damn him!_

"Uh, yeah. Sorry Fawn, I know you're land's in trouble, but our friends are lost in an unfamiliar landscape. And besides, they came to help you as well! Wouldn't it be better if we were all together?" said Sora, feeling slightly sheepish that he had forgotten about his other friends, even for just a moment. Fawn looked at Sora, her lips pursed as she calculated.

_This is troublesome...it took all that effort to separate them and now they're rushing back together....delays. Obviously, just separating them won't be enough. I'll have to eliminate those troublesome variables before they can mess up my plans any further. But how to do it and still retain Sora's trust..._

Suddenly, Sora doubled over, clutching his chest in pain.

"Sora!" cried Riku and Fawn at the same time, shooting each other a glare as they rushed to the brunette's side.

Sora clutched his chest, eyes screwed shut.

_Nnghh....Kairi! _

_**Oh man, the girls are in serious trouble...I feel like I'm being ripped in two!**_

_We-We've got to-got to go-to th-them! _

_**Y-yeah, right now! **_

Still wincing, Sora straightened up, blinking his eyes.

"Are you alright Sora?!" demanded Fawn, her voice shrill with alarm. Riku glared at the raven-haired girl before turning back to his friend. "What happened Sora?" he asked, moving so that he was closer to his friend.

"Kairi," gasped Sora, "She's in trouble."

Fawn recoiled as if someone had slapped her and her hands curled into fists.

_Kairi...._she growled, _another inconvenience. _

"Kairi?" said Riku in surprise. "How do you know?" Sora glared at his friend, eyes like chips of ice. "I _know," _he growled. Riku took a step back in surprise and his eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

Sora turned around looking to where the castle hung on the edge of the cliff precariously. There were bright flashes of light exploding in the castle and some chunks were falling of the sides.

"There," he breathed, summoning Fenrir, "We need to go there."

Fawn's eyes narrowed and she looked up at the castle.

_There? How unusual....and convenient. The little bitch must have run into a member of the Dark Order. With any luck they'll kill her. I'll have to stop Sora from getting there before they do...well, that's easily done. _

Fawn half-shut her eyes and lifted her hands barely, concentrating hard.

Riku whirled around as he felt a fierce Dark presence emanating from the girl. He advanced upon her angrily. "What are you doing?!" he snarled, raising Way to Dawn. Fawn's eyes snapped open and she took a startled step back. "Wh-what do you...there's something coming!" she cried, pointing behind the silver haired teenager. Riku whirled around in time to see a Shadow Wolf leaping at him, teeth bared and eyes glowing.

"Damn it!" swore Riku, whacking it away with Way to Dawn. Fawn had to conceal a smile as she put on a mask of horror. She hadn't summoned as many as she wanted to, that stupid gray-haired bimbo had stopped her, but still nine wolves were still a fair amount to deal with. Especially when they were Shadow Wolves who couldn't die by conventional means. And even better, the Light bitch wasn't here to vaporize them!

It was really hard to hold back a smile.

"Shit!" swore Sora as he slashed through two wolves, yelping in pain as a wolf slashed at his shoulder.

"Sora!" cried Fawn, running to his side.

_Don't injure Sora, just keep him busy. Rip the silver one to shreds though. _She commanded, sending a mental order to each of her Shadow Wolves. At the same time, she drew a dagger from its sheath on her leg and began stabbing at her own wolves beside Sora.

Riku and Sora both swore as they fought the wolves, Sora casting anxious looks towards the castle as the painful twinges in his chest continued.

_Kairi...._

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**

"AHHHHH!"

Kairi screamed as Scura Nila slashed across her back. She dropped to her knees and barely dodged Scura Kasumi as it flew at her other side. The Princess scrambled to her feet and leapt back, breathing heavily.

Myris smiled. It sure had been unexpected, meeting the Princess here. Koru had said that he had chewed her up pretty badly (in a long speech about how _good _her blood was) and he had been a bit surprised to see her in such good shape so soon after the battle.

Myris and Koru had been patrolling the castle, as was their duty to the Dark Lord. He was planning to move his base of operations to this castle that had been abandoned for decades, deemed to old and unfit to serve a use for the aristocratic Moon Warriors. While he was preparing for the move, Myris and Koru had been assigned to make sure the castle was clear of any unwanted people. It was their primary mission. It wasn't one of extreme importance, and Myris was often taken off of this mission to go on others, such as the (failed) raid on Destiny Islands, but guarding the castle was the thing that Myris did the most. It bothered the Dark Prince, as he knew that the Dark Lord put him here mostly to keep him out of the way. He didn't trust the former Moon Warrior completely, and likely never would.

Myris smiled as he easily blocked a Light Firaga and sent Nila ripping across Kairi's front, ripping her dress from the right hem to just under her chest. Kairi screamed and fell back, clutching her body as tears squeezed out from her eyes.

Myris sighed and retracted Scura Kasumi back into its gun form.

When Koru had sensed intruders in the castle, he had been hoping for a bit of excitement. Finding a duck, a dog, and a girl hadn't really met his expectations. Koru had been torn between wanting to finish his battle with Kairi (and her delicious blood), or getting back at the bipedal dog for sending him flying the last time they'd met. Myris hadn't particularly wanted to battle two creatures that looked like they'd walked out of a children's fairytale (even if he did have a score to settle with that damn duck, who had sent him to some desert where he'd been captured by a blue coloured floating freak who hadn't stopped talking and using magic to conjure up the most ridiculous things. He' barely escaped with his sanity intact.) and opted to battle the Princess himself, pushing her through a Dark Portal and separating her from her friends. He didn't like Princesses all the much, as the one he'd grown up with had been a disproportionate bitch.

Kairi staggered to her feet, raising Blossoming Light with shaking hands. Her hair had fallen out of her pony tail and she was covered in long slashes. She hadn't been fighting Myris long, and already was severely wounded, barely able to stand. Kairi could see how he had given Riku so much trouble; she hadn't even been able to lay a single blow on him. A few grazes with some Light Firagas, but for the most part, Myris was emerging from this battle unscathed.

"F-firaga!" stammered Kairi, firing a shot of Light-charged fire at the prince. Myris stifled another sigh and wacked it away with the Kasumi, lazily firing a shot of dark magic at the Princess. Kairi raised Blossoming Light and deflected part of the blast, but part of it hit her square in the chest. Kairi's eyes widened and her mouth opened in a soundless scream.

Kairi was a Princess of Heart, a young woman of pure Light. Extreme darkness made her wince, travelling through Corridors of Darkness made her sick, getting hit in the chest with a bullet of pure Dark Energy put her through more agony then she could possibly fathom.

Kairi fell to her knees, Blossoming Light falling to her side. She stayed in that position, eyes wide and mouth open, without moving.

Myris blinked and sighed. Really, now she was catatonic? This hadn't been as entertaining as he'd hoped. He'd have much rather faced that silver-haired fellow, the unsymmetrical one with the homicidal clones. He, at least, put up a good fight. Myris retracted Scura Nila back into its gun form and sheathed both guns within his cloak. The Prince began to walk away, still muttering about how unsatisfying the battle was.

Slowly, Kairi's eyes and mouth closed. Shaking, she picked up Blossoming Light and rose to her feet. Tears were streaming down her face and she was shaking uncontrollably, but she pointed her weapon at the retreating prince, barely able to hold it up. Her arm and hand began to glow red hot, and the Keyblade followed suit, light radiating from them. Her eyes squeezed shut, Kairi took a deep breath.

"LIGHT!"

Myris didn't have time to turn around before a powerful blast of pure Light hit him square in the back.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Myris fell to his knees, howling in pain. His back felt like it was on fire, and the flame was spreading. Pain stretching to his arms, legs, head...

The prince's entire body was enveloped in white fire, burning his arms, legs, back, front, neck and face. Myris screamed, arching his back in pain as the light ate away at his body.

Slowly, the flames died done, leaving a badly burned teenager in their wake. Myris's cloak had been all but burned away, and the back of his shirt had a large hole in it that revealed red and blistered skin. His sleeves and bandages were gone, his arms red and smoking. His neck was covered in blisters, with skin peeling away from the bottom half of his face. His pants were covered in holes, with bright red skin showing through.

The light blast had been large, hitting the walls and floor after hitting Myris. Cracks appeared all over, and an unsettling splintering sound echoed throughout the room.

The Prince gasped, and clenched his fists, before leaping to his feet, body smouldering, light coloured smoke wafting from him in waves.

Kairi collapsed onto her hands and knees, sobbing uncontrollably. In her head, Namine was crying, crying out for Roxas. Kairi didn't try to stop her. The redhead had been calling to Sora for awhile. She had felt it, felt her heart cry out to his. Was he coming? She couldn't tell through the haze of pain.

"I'll kill you! You stupid bitch!" cried Myris, Darkness rolling off his body in waves, causing Kairi to once again cry out in pain.

Myris withdrew Scura Nila and Scura Kasumi, releasing the weapons into their sword forms, the two of them radiating with Darkness as he staggered towards the Princess. Kairi took in a shaky breath and got to her feet, holding up Blossoming Light, the keyblade glowing with Light. Tears and blood continued to roll down her face, her whole body continuing to shake as she faced down the Dark Prince.

Myris raised his weapons and charged.

Biting back a scream of pain, Kairi raised her own weapon and charged.

Darkness and Light met.

BOOM.

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**

Donald ducked as Koru leapt at him, claws outstretched. He rolled onto his back and sent a powerful thundaga straight up, catching the wolf right through the chest. Koru howled and fell onto his side, fur smouldering.

The Lupisomra wasn't badly hurt. His long brown had been fur burnt away to blackened spikes in some places, and blood dripped from his jaws where Goofy had hit him in the face one too many times, but other than that, the wolf was relatively unscathed.

Goofy and Donald also appeared to not have many injuries, but that was only due to the large number of Curagas that the Duck had cast. In reality, the two of them were dead tired. Donald had tried to cast a Transportaga on the wolf, but Koru was fast. He dodged all of the duck's attempts, and most of his magic attacks. Magic wasn't affective in battling a creature such as Koru. He was too fast. And close combat was a bad idea, as getting anywhere near his fearsome jaws and claws was suicide. Donald and Goofy would have been dead long ago if not for the protection magic and healing that Donald kept casting.

Donald squawked as he narrowly missed Koru's claws, losing several tail feathers in the process. Goofy ran up and attempted to hit the wolf with his shield, but Koru leapt nimbly out of the way.

"So _boring. _I want _blood! _I wanna fight the Princess! She was _delicious!" _said the wolf with a pout, wincing as a Firaga from Donald grazed his shoulder. He looked up to where stairs led from the main hall of the castle, to an upper room, where Myris and Kairi were fighting. Myris had transported the two of them there, not wanting Koru to 'screw up' their fight.

Koru pouted again, dodging a blizzaga and ducking under Goofy's shield.

This fight was so _bor-_

**BOOM!!**

Donald, Goofy and Koru were knocked off their feet as the entire castle shook. Dark and Light energy crashed into the room from the upper floor, causing all three of the animals to cry out in pain. The walls cracked and the floor split in two. The right side of the castle began shifting to the side, where it hung precariously off the cliff. Large panels of stone began falling from the upper floor, and an entire section fell from the top, plunging through all the floors to reveal a hole that extended all the way to the top tower.

Donald squawked in horror and lifted a large chunk of rock off of Goofy. Casting a quick Curaga and helping his friend to his feet.

Nearby, Koru, was struggling to get out of a pile of rubble. Shaking mortar off of his head, he looked to the crumbling staircase in horror. "Master Myris!" he cried, running to the stairs.

"Gawrsh! What's going on! Why is the castle collapsing?" said Goofy, rubbing his head.

"I don't care why it's collapsing! We've got to get out of here!" cried Donald, secretly glad that their battle with Koru had been halted. Goofy held Donald back. "What about Miss Kairi?" he asked, looking up through the holes in the ceiling. All that could be seen was a large mass of Light, with a haze of Darkness just visible on the other side of it.

Donald hesitated, and looked at the crumbling stairs.

"I'll get Kairi."

Donald and Goofy whirled around and their eyes widened.

"Sora!" cried Goofy happily, running towards his friend for a hug.

"Kairi's up there?" asked Sora urgently, stopping the bipedal dog dead in his tracks. Goofy scratched his head sheepishly, realizing that this wasn't the time for hugs.

"Uh, yeah. She's upstairs. She was fighting that Prince, the one Riku was fighting," said Donald. Sora's eyes widened and he dashed for the crumbling stairs.

"Donald! Goofy! Get out of here! I'll get Kairi!" he cried, running for the stairs. Donald and Goofy hesitated, but then they looked at each other and nodded.

"Alright Sora! We'll be waiting outside!" cried Donald as he and Goofy ran for the exit.

Sora paused in his dash for the stairs, looking at the unstable steps grimly. The steps were on the right side of the castle and that entire section was slanted horribly, hanging apart from the rest of the castle by a momentous crack in the middle of the floor.

Sora gritted his teeth at the obstacle and then blinked as something hit his head. He looked up irritably and his eyes widened as he stared up at a very large hole, leading straight up.

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**

Kairi coughed as she struggled to get to her feet, fighting the waves of unconsciousness that were lapping at her mind.

_Kai.....ri......_

Namine's voice seemed to come from far away, echoing eerily in the Princess's mind. Kairi shuddered, staring dazedly into the mass of Darkness before her.

The Darkness was spread thin, appearing only as a wispy gray cloud. Surrounding the Darkness like a barrier was light, containing the area in a cocoon.

Though Kairi couldn't tell at the moment, most of the room had been blown away. The entire top of the castle was collapsing and the walls were all but gone. The floor was cracking and breaking away in sections, falling down into the rooms below. But Kairi didn't know any of that. The cocoon of Light and the haze of Darkness obscure her view of everything around her, and al that the Princess knew at that moment was pain.

Suddenly, Kairi felt a familiar warm feeling explode in her chest, momentarily banishing the pain and causing her to look up with hope shining in her tired blue eyes.

"Sora!" she gasped, lurching to her feet unsteadily. She staggered forward, tears of happiness flowing down her cheeks at the prospect of reuniting with her hero.

Kairi walked unsteadily forward, not paying attention to where she was going. As it were, she stepped over a hole several times, but the cocoon of Light around the room prevented her from falling through.

_Sora, _she thought in her mind, _oh Sora, I'm so weak, I need you. I hate it, but I need you. I need you so much it hurts. Sora, Sora, I'm so sorry I need you so much. I'm so sorry that I hurt you, that I rejected you, but still I need you. I'm selfish, I'm worthless, I shouldn't be a Princess of Heart, but I _need _you!_

Kairi's breath caught in her throat as she saw a figure ahead of her, shrouded in the Darkness.

"Sora?" she whispered, barely able to contain the joy in her voice. The figure moved forward a few steps, close enough that Kairi could see his face.

Her eyes widened in horror.

"Not quite," purred Myris, releasing Scura Nila into its whip form and sending it straight at Kairi's chest.

Kairi didn't have time to react, her brain was made sluggish by pain and fatigue and she barely registered the spiked weapon heading straight for her.

All she had time to do was close her eyes.

Kairi waited for the impact, all the time feeling the warm feeling in her chest increase.

_Sora, I'm sorry, _she thought sadly, _I couldn't stay strong for you. I couldn't hold on for you. I was weak. _

That's when she heard Myris's voice exclaim in absolute fury:

"Oh, _F**K" _

Kairi's eyes flew open.

She screamed.

In front of her was the point of Scura Nila, with one spike visible and mere inches away from the Princess.

The rest of the weapon was buried inside Sora.

The Keyblade Master let out a gurgle as blood bubbled up inside his mouth. He fell to the side, not reaching the floor as he was propped up by the blades of Scura Nila that were protruding from the left side of his body. The blades slid across the blood soaked floor and Sora hit the ground with a thump and a moan.

Kairi looked at the brunette in horror, barely registering what she was seeing. In her mind, Namine was screaming and screaming and screaming out to Roxas, begging for a response. All the Nobody got was a blurred message of pure agony.

Still cursing, Myris pulled on Nila's chain yanking the spiked weapon at of Sora's body in a gruesome spray of blood and gore. Sora's pupils dilated and his mouth opened to scream, only to have the sound stopped by the blood that came bubbling out of his throat, filling his mouth and spilling down his chin/

Kairi continued to stare at Sora, watching blood pool out from his ruined chest and the light in his cerulean eyes flicker and dim. The Princess fell to her knees, shaking uncontrollably and breathing rapidly as she began to go into shock.

"No..." she whispered in horror. "No, no, no..."

Myris looked at the fallen teenager in horror, cursing the boy's bad timing. Really, WHAT THE F**K. He had just sprang up from below the cursed floor of light right into the path of Nila. He'd popped out of _nowhere! _How was Myris supposed to...how could he have....

The Dark Prince ground his teeth together.

The fact remained; he had mortally injured the Unlocker, a being that was of extreme importance to the Night Order.

He was going to pay hell for this.

Still cursing under his breath, Myris began stumbling away from the redhead and the brunette, his feet burning as he walked on the floor of Light, searching for an exit to the crumbling castle. Concentrating his dark energy, he sank through the barrier of light to the area below.

A large rumbling sound filled the area as the castle continued to fall apart. Kairi overbalanced and fell away from Sora as the castle shook and shifted to the right. Kairi expected to hit the ground as she toppled over, but to her horror, she fell right through.

Myris's Darkness had infected all of the Light, and the cocoon had weakened to the point where it could no longer support Kairi's weight. The Princess fell through a hole in the floor, looking up with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"SORAAAAAA!"

Tears flowed from Kairi's eyes, flying away as she fell. One hand reached up, reaching for the boy she had finally realized she loved....

"Kairi?! What happened? What's wrong? Where's Sora?" Kairi blinked, looking up dazedly. She was no longer falling, she hadn't even realized it. All she could hear was a roaring sound in her ears, and the sickening wet sound that she had heard when Myris's weapon had pierced her hero.....

"No! Nooo! Stop it! STOP IT!!!" screamed Kairi, thrashing about wildly with her palms pressed firmly to her ears.

"Kairi! Kairi what's wrong? Snap out of it dammit! You're hurting me!"

Kairi stopped thrashing about, looking up with tear blurred eyes. For the first time, she realized that she was not on the floor, but being held in someone's tan, muscular arms.

"Riku?" she whispered, pale blue eyes wide. The silver-haired warrior looked down at her concern plastered on his face.

"You fell from upstairs Kairi. What happened to you? You look...and where's Sora? He ran ahead to help you....left me to fight off all those wolves by myself might I add..."

"Sora!" cried Kairi hoarsely, clawing at Riku desperately. "You need....need to help Sora! Need to....need to...help....please, please save Sora....save my Sora...." she sobbed, looking up at her friend with pleading eyes before she finally succumbed to the dark abyss of unconsciousness.

Riku blinked and then grimaced and slowly lay Kairi on the ground. He cast a strong Reflega around her, wincing as he heard her whimper in pain at the contact with his Darkness infused magic. He then summoned a Dark Portal and gently pushed her through, confident that she'd be safe with Donald and Goofy for now, even if the Dark Bitch was with them.

Riku watched as the portal dissipated, slightly concerned that his ability to summon them had reappeared. He quickly dismissed the worry. It was probably the dark nature of Del Perso that strengthened his Dark powers. As soon as they left, he wouldn't be able to summon them anymore.

Riku shook his head and looked up to where Kairi had fallen from, sighing.

_Oh Sora, what the hell have you gotten yourself into now?_

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**

To say Fawn was pissed would be an understatement.

Her carefully laid out plans were slowly unravelling. First, Sora had disappeared, using an unfamiliar spell to disappear right under her nose. Then, she'd been forced to dispel her Shadow Wolves so that she could pursue him as quickly as possible. Then, after travelling on foot for a few minutes, Fawn had lost her patience and created a Corridor of Darkness. She had not-so-subtly left Riku behind, and had had the shock of her life when he created his own Corridor of Darkness and appeared beside her. These events, of course, had made Riku even more suspicious of her, and as a result, when they had finally reached the castle and met up with Donald and Goofy, he had 'suggested' that Fawn stay outside to discuss the position of Del Perso with the King's lieutenants. Fawn had vehemently refused, saying that she wanted to go and help Sora. Riku had coldly said that Sora didn't need her help, and that it was _Kairi _they were going in after. Fawn would just get in the way.

Riku had then left, leaving Fawn behind. The Dark Princess had tried to go after him, but had found her way barred by the irritating duck and moronic dog. Less than a minute later, Kairi had appeared through a Corridor of Darkness, grievously wounded. That was when Fawn got a really bad feeling and had turned to run into the crumbling castle after _her _Unlocker.

Then, the most unfortunate thing _ever _had happened.

Koru had stumbled out, limping profusely and whining for Myris. The wolf had caught their scent and run at them, intent on sinking his fangs into Kairi's 'delicious smelling blood' once more.

Goofy and Donald had immediately leapt into battle to defend the Princess of Heart and Fawn had tried to sneak away during the confusion, only to see something that stopped her dead in her tracks.

Myris, hobbling away from the castle as fast as he could, his screwed up in pain and anger. He looked so fearsome, with his clothes burnt away, skin scorched, and an absolutely murderous look on his face that Fawn's old fear of her twin resurfaced , freezing her on the spot. Fawn had stood frozen for over a minute, but she had finally come to her senses and was running towards the castle once again, cursing her brother over and over.

That's when the castle had exploded.

The walls near the top blew out, debris flying outward, perilously close to those assembled. The castle split in half, the left side collapsing in on itself, while the right side, fell off the side of the cliff in a magnificent slide of stone. A chunk of the cliff fell with the castle, sending shockwaves throughout the entire area.

Fawn, Donald, Goofy, and Koru were all knocked off their feet and Kairi let out a little cry, clutching her chest in her unconsciousness. A large sound, a deafening thunderclap, pervaded the area as the mass of falling rubble hit the ground. Everyone clapped their hands to their ears, the large sound excruciatingly painful at such a close proximity.

The crashes continued, shaking the ground, the cliff, and sounding thunderous and torturous to the ears of those nearby.

Then, finally it ended.

Fawn removed her hands from her ears and looked about. The entire area was encompassed in a haze, brought up by the large cloud of dust and dirt that had exploded upwards when the tons of stone had broken away and hit the ground. Everything was misty, and the Dark Princess couldn't help but cough as each breath brought a copious of amount of silt into her lungs.

"Gawrsh, what was that?"

"I dunno! Kairi, are you okay?"

"She's still out, but I don't think she's gotten any more hurt."

"Hey! Where'd that gosh darn wolf go?"

"Oh! He disappeared! Maybe that loud noise scared him away, hyuck!"

Fawn pressed her hands to her temples and tried to quell her growing anger.

Everything was going wrong. Sora had disappeared, and the castle he had collapsed. Fawn didn't think the fabled Keybearer was someone who could be killed so easily, but still, she was uneasy. And Myris had been there...never a good sign....

"Hey! Someone's walking towards us!"

"Is it Sora? Sora! Sora, over here!" Donald waved the figure shrouded in the haze of dust over, flapping his wings excitedly.

Riku appeared before the group, clothes torn and dirty, green eyes blurred with tears.

Fawn's eyes narrowed and she took a step forward. "Where's Sora," she growled, golden eyes flashing with impatience.

Riku swallowed, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"He-Sora's.....he's dead."

**I think this is one of the most important chapters in the story, and I think it really deserves a review. Because it's like, climactic, and kind of crazy. And, c'mon. I gotta hear what you guys think about the ending. So please, REVIEW. **

**Next chapter will be up tomorrow, probably. Unless no one reviews. I don't usually do this, but I want at least one review before I post it. **

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p**


	17. Alone

**Second last chappie...and it's the one I based this entire story on so....yeah. Read it and...make sure you review. This chapter more than any other needs to be reviewed. **

**This is from Sora's POV, starting from when Kairi fell through the floor. **

**Alone**

_Kairi has just fallen through the floor, leaving Sora alone and grievously injured in a crumbling castle....._

He felt like he was on fire.

His entire body was on fire, burning, burning with more pain than he had ever experienced in all of his various battles. It felt like he was burning from the inside, like a fire was burning within him, scorching and eating away at him until there was nothing left but charred remains.

The pain hadn't been so bad before. Well it had, but it was like there was a screen separating him from it. A screen of warmth and love that kept the pain at bay and gave him strength and hope.

And then it disappeared.

And the pain was back worse than ever, scorching the teenager to the point where he almost wished for death and darkness to claim him, to take him away from the agony.

The darkness already lapped at the edges of his vision, which was fading in and out. It was scary, he couldn't hear anything around him, no noise, just silence. Like he was completely alone.

_Alone. _

_**Not alone. **_

_Hi_s eyes widened slightly as he heard Roxas's weak voice within his mind.

_**Not alone. Still here. Always here. **_

He would have smiled if he could have moved any of the muscles in his body. Yes, Roxas was still here. Even though there had been countless times when he wished the Nobody would just disappear (the blonde was irritation incarnate), now, he was beyond glad to not be alone in this sea of dark and silence.

"....Sora?"

He stirred slightly.

_Words? Words coming from the outside? An end to the silence? _

"...wow. They chewed you up pretty good."

_So familiar..._

Who was it? Who was reaching out to him through the haze of darkness?

"...silly. You should have waited for me instead of using that Transportaga spell. You never think."

Never think? He was thinking now wasn't he? It was all he could do, hold onto the last corners of his mind as his body failed him...

"You're impulsive, foolhardy, rash, often rude, and you _really _don't think."

_Insults? _

"I suppose you're kind Sora, and you put others first. You definitely have a strong sense of justice...but what good is that in a war?"

War? What good was war? War was bad...death...death happened in war...

_Is this death?_

"In a war you need to be smart, make tactical decisions. You need to be willing to charge head first into danger and think of the consequences while you're charging. You can't be rash, but you have to be quick. _You're_ always rash and never think of consequences. That's not good in a war Sora."

Not good in a war? Hadn't he been fighting wars for the past two years? What were they? Mock battles?

"...got lucky probably. And the King and I were helping you. The Keyblade Master shouldn't have to depend on others. He should be able to handle things himself."

_Keyblade...my Keyblade...._

"...why the Keyblade chose you. You're so silly, so stupid sometimes. It only chose you by default, because the real master was...incapacitated."

_Real Master...?...Who....who is....talking...._

"The thing is, I'm out of the Darkness now. I've proven myself. I'm worthy of the Keyblade again. I should have it."

_But.....mine....who....?_

"But you have it Sora, so it doesn't even register me anymore."

The voice was fading in and out....everything fading in and out....

"If you're not here anymore...the Keyblade will see how much I've grown. How I've bevome worthy of it again."

_Not...not....here?....Where...._

"...I need a chance to prove myself Sora, I need you gone."

_Gone?_

"You understand, don't you?"

Blood bubbled out of his mouth. He coughed, body spasming.

"You're dying. It's obvious even a Curaga isn't going to fix you."

Dying? Oh yes, he was doing that right now, wasn't he? How unfortunate...

"But...I have to be sure...you never know....Donald might...."

_Donald....Donald....Goofy?.....Mickey_?...._names....faces?_

"I'm not...I mean, I'm not really doing anything...you're so close to dying already Sora...if you weren't dying, I wouldn't even consider...."

_Oh, that's nice. _

"You're my best friend."

_Friend? Friend? Who is my friend...._

His blurred eyes widened slightly as he took in the blurry figure before him. It's long silver locks, tan complexion...

He tried to say his name, call out to his friend, but the words were lost in the fountain of blood gushing from his mouth.

Riku sighed, and brushed his bangs away from his face, looking down at his dying friend.

"I'm really sorry. You might not believe it, but I am," he said sincerely, blinking back tears as he opened a Dark Corridor.

The seventeen-year-old took a deep breath, "But I have to do this. For me."

Riku closed his eyes. He opened them again.

"Goodbye Sora."

With that, he summoned Way to Dawn and plunged it into the already crumbling floor, dark energy rippling through the weakening structure. Then, Riku ran into the Dark Portal, looking back at his best friend one last time, before the floor underneath the brunette crumbled and Sora disappeared underneath a cascade of rocks.

**xoxoxoxoxo**

Falling....

Falling down, ever down.

The weight of the world was on top of him, pushing him down, making him fall faster as he plummeted down...forever falling into darkness...

_Why Riku? Why? What did I...we are best friends...._

_The weight...is so heavy, its so heavy, I can't open my eyes...I can't open my mouth to scream... _

The falling stops.

The falling stops and the pain is greater than before, so great that it pervades the numbness and the darkness and pierces him.

_My soul. _

_My heart. _

The fire is great, so great, it laps at him, bites and tears at him...

_Someone save me from this fire!_

_Someone save me from this darkness!_

_**Sora...hold on Sora....**_

_Roxas....Roxas? _

_**I'm here...please hold on. Don't give up....stay strong.**_

_Too tired to be strong. Fire is stronger than I can be...the darkness is pulling at me..._

_**For Kairi? **_

_Kairi...Kairi is safe now. Kairi doesn't need me..._

_**Don't say...that...**_

But Kairi didn't need him...she had so...said she didn't need him...didn't want him...

_**No...no....**_

His eyes were closed, he couldn't open them, all around him was weight and heaviness that weighed him down and hurt him and made him feel pain....pain that pierced through the darkness and burned him...burned and burned him.

_**Don't...don't...stay...stay Sora...**_

_Don't wanna...it hurts!_

Drifting...drifting away into the darkness...the more he drifted into darkness...the less the fire burned...

To drift, to drift completely into the numbness and banish the burning of the flames forever...

Then, the weight lifted.

He gasped at the sudden change. All of a sudden the weight was gone. Disappeared. And in its place...light? Was it light? No...but...could feel...could feel something...something that made him feel...better? Better...warmer...more secure. Something was calming him...something was banishing the fire...

_**No! Nonono! Get away! Get away from him!**_

_...no...no don't....I want it to stay...let it stay...._

_**No! No way!...won't let her! Won't let her do this...**_

_Taking pain away...._

_**No! Can't you feel it?! Can't let her take....take the pain...not...not...with this...nonono. NO!**_

_Stop...the fire...._

_**Won't let her! Won't let her...save you like this...not with Dark-**_

And there was pain.

He gasped again and spasmed. Pain, such a pain. More pain then he had ever experienced. Like something was being ripped out of him with a pair of rusty pliers. So painful, his body wanted to howl in a haunting scream of anguish. His mouth opened, but nothing came out, nothing but a continuous flow of a warm liquid. A warm liquid that choked him and caused his body to spasm further.

Then the pain subsided.

_What...what...._

Silence.

_What just...pain..._

Silence.

_....Roxas?_

Silence.

His mind felt empty, his entire being felt hollow. Something was missing. Something had been taken.

_Roxas?!_

Panic, he began to panic, and the fire increased, burning him, tearing at him, and he faced it alone...

Then the calmness descended on him once again, and sense of security fell on his mind. The fire subsided, more and more, leaving his body until it was almost gone...

At the same time, he felt a sense of unease and violation. Like something was entering his body...something he didn't want. He began to panic, only to feel a warm hand descend upon his head...

He was startled, he hadn't been able to feel anything but heaviness and fire for awhile. This touch...it was nice...his senses...his senses were returning.

His eyes opened briefly, and he caught a glimpse of brilliant gold, staring down at him with unimagined warmth, before he succumbed to whatever it was that was flowing into him, taking away the fire...

He fell into the darkness, smiling.

**Um....yeah. I think that might have been a bit confusing. But I hope you got the gist of what happened. **

**Ugh, not sure I like it though. Wish this chapter was better. Might rewrite it in the near future. **

**The last chapter will be up within the next few days. I just want to make sure I tie up any plot holes and things I might have forgotten before I post it. **

**You guys, REVIEW. This is the chapter I built my entire story on. I need it reviewed more than anything else. If you don't review this chapter than you might as well have spat in my face. And plus, like I said, I don't like it all that much, so I really need some feedback. **

**REVIEW**

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p **


	18. And Then

**Gah! Sorry it's late! Have so much work….**

**As it is, I'll probably redo this chapter later, but I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for a week. **

***Disclaimer **

**Me: Ah, It's been awhile hasn't it?**

**Roxas:…You're still a crazy bitch. **

**Me: That's right, I love you too. **

**Roxas: Natcat5 doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, and it's a good thing she doesn't, otherwise the entire thing would be yaoi. **

**Me: Not the **_**entire **_**thing….just you and Axel. And Demyx and Zexion. And Xemnas and Saix. Basically just Organization XIII**

**Roxas:….so wrong. So, so wrong…..**

**Me: On with le chapter finale! **

**And then…..**

"Is she going to be alright?"

"…can't blame her if she isn't. Poor girl, to have lost…"

"I'm still in shock myself. I can't really wrap my head around it. The Keybearer. Gone. It doesn't compute."

"It would be strange if it did, Leon. What will become of the worlds now?"

"They're safe. For now. Sora really saved the day….not a speck of trouble anywhere…except, of course…"

"Why? Why did they have to go there? Why did the King…"

"I don't know Aerith."

"What will we do if something happens? If the Heartless reappear in droves?"

"I don't know."

"Oh god, what if another Organization-,"

"I don't know dammit! I just….don't know."

"It's a bad business, and the King's missing too…"

"I've got a bad feeling Aerith…Dammit! Why couldn't that stupid kid just stay out of trouble…Why'd he have to go and….what are we going to do without him?"

"We have Riku….and Kairi…."

"I'm not so sure I completely trust that Riku kid. Anyone who's fallen into Darkness once can do it again."

"Leon! Riku has proven himself time and time again! He's a brave and noble warrior of light!"

"Not brave enough to save his friend from plunging to his death."

"Leon. Don't."

"Fine. I won't. But I'm not willing to put the fate of the worlds in that kid's hands. I'm not desperate enough for that…not yet."

"And…Kairi. I'm not sure…I'm not sure her heart will recover….she and Sora were so close…and after that incident at Hollow Bastion I'm fairly certain their hearts became linked in some way."

"So she's become a catatonic pity party."

"Leon!"

"I'm sorry Aerith, but the worlds have always put their faith in the Keybearers. Right now one of them's dead, one of them's missing, one of them is of questionable virtue, and the other hasn't moved in fifteen days. Aerith, I'm scared. If something happens, something bad, what are we going to do without them?"

"…."

"…."

"…Come on. We're raising our voices and we're very close to Kairi's room. We wouldn't want to…disturb her."

Kairi curled up tighter in the bed as the voices faded away, tears slipping from beneath her eyelids.

She hadn't thought that she could be hurt anymore, that nothing could wound what was left of her shredded heart, but she was wrong.

Aerith and Leon…they had kindly given refuge tp Riku and Kairi in Radiant Garden after Riku had asked them, not wanting to return home to Destiny Islands with the horrible news…not yet. And, of course, Kairi hadn't been in any condition to travel. While the majority of her wounds had been healed by Donald, the Princess was in a sorry state. Her clothes in tatters, her body weakened by Darkness, and her mental state completely shattered. When she had first arrived, Aerith and Yuffie had been at her side constantly, trying to her to talk, to eat, to do _something. _But Kairi hadn't said a word, or shed a tear since she had arrived. She wouldn't move from the hospital bed, wouldn't talk or look at anyone, and wouldn't eat. Eating was something that had been forced upon her by Riku, who had vehemently asked her if Sora would be happy if she starved herself to death. That was the first time she cried. Her whole body wracked with sobs as she let the tears flow for the boy she loved and lost. Riku had held her tightly, whispering that he would always be there for her, that he was still here, and that the two of them could make it together.

Then, Kairi had moved from the hospital and barricaded herself in a room provided to her by Aerith. She had then proceeded to curl up in a ball and remained in that position for the next two weeks.

Everyone came in at a point to try and get her to move, to go on with her life, telling her that Sora would want her to be strong, but Kairi had long since given up on being strong.

Eventually, they stopped coming, and only Riku took the time to visit her every day and talk to her, however unresponsive she may be.

_Riku, _thought Kairi, stifling a sob with the blanket. _He's still with me, he didn't break his promise!_

A fresh flood of tears flowed from the Princess as she remembered that sunny day on Destiny Islands, not so long ago…

"_I promise you Kairi, I'm not going anywhere." _

A fresh flood of tears fell from her eyes and she bit the pillow to stop from screaming.

_Then where are you? Why did you leave me? Why does my heart feel so cold? _

Kairi let out moan and buried herself in the bed. She'd thought that nothing else could hurt her, but now…after what she'd heard…

_Leon and Aerith…I don't think they meant…_

Kairi winced as she heard Namine's soft voice in her mind, a voice raw with pain, much like her own.

_But they're right Namine. _

Yes. They were right. Kairi was a Keyblader, and a Princess of Heart. And here she was, lying on a bed and moping about when she should have been fighting to protect the worlds.

It's not what Sora would have wanted.

Kairi didn't want to fight anymore. She was tired, beaten, and ready to give up.

But Sora wouldn't want her to.

With a hitched breath, the redhead pushed herself off the bed and onto her feet, walking unsteadily towards the door and the light behind it.

_I've given up on trying to be strong…maybe I should stop trying and just _be _strong Namine. _

_Y-yes Kairi. It's what….I-it's what…_

_What Sora and Roxas would have wanted. _

Tears pricked the corners of Kairi's eyes as Namine began quietly sobbing, and Kairi had to shut her eyes, her entire body shaking with sobs.

_For you Sora. I wanted to be strong for myself and I couldn't. But I can be strong for you. _

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Riku watched deafly shot a Dark Firaga at a tree, watching with satisfaction as it burst into Dark flames and collapsed to the ground.

Riku had been patient. He really had.

He hadn't expected the Keyblade to come to him right away. It would probably be confused after its first Master's death and maybe even sad in its own way. Riku had expected that. He really had.

But three weeks?

Really, how long did it take a piece of metal to move on and set its sights on someone else.

Riku took in a shaky breath as he shot another Dark Firaga at a poor, unsuspecting tree, teeth gritted.

He hadn't done anything wrong. He _hadn't. _Sora…sora had been dying. His chest was torn wide open, there's no way Donald would have been able to cast a Curaga strong enough to close it up in time. Sora was as good as dead.

And yet, something in Riku had told him that this was _Sora. _The kid that always beat the odds. If anyone could survive having their chest ripped open it was him. And so, Riku had ensured it so that his friend could not make a miraculous recovery.

Would that be considered…killing his best friend?

But he hadn't killed him, Myris had. Riku had just…just done some insurance…just fixed things in his favour a little….Sora was going to die anyways….

"Dammit!" screamed the dark warrior, firing several Dark Firagas at a bunch of trees in quick succession. The trees were blown sky high, nothing but wisps of wood and Darkness in the wind.

Riku stood panting, wiping tears of rage from his eyes.

"Damn you Sora," he growled fighting back tears.

"Just damn you….."

Riku fell to his knees, gripping Way to Dawn tightly. He knelt there, for awhile, fists clenched as he mastered his emotions.

Slowly, the warrior rose, lifting Way to Dawn high in the air as he did.

_The Keyblade will come to me, _he thought, his eyes dry. _It's mine by right. Sora is gone and I don't regret what I did. I miss him, but he would have died anyway, and I don't regret what I did. The Keyblade will be mine, as it should have been, and Kairi…Kairi will be okay. I think she was actually listening the last time I went into talk to her. Kairi will get better, and then the Keyblade will come to me. And then, the two of us will…we'll be the new Keybearers. The duo. And we'll save the worlds together. For you Sora. For you, I swear. _

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**

Fawn looked down at the citizens of Della Luna, assembled in the courtyard of the palace.

They were all miserable looking, impoverished, with injuries a plenty and nothing but dirty rags clinging to their skinny bodies. They looked positively tiny next to the Lupisomra that stalked around them. It had been a hastle to get them all here, as Fawn's subjects had scattered across Del Perso to escape the wrath of the Night Order. But finally, here they stood. Almost all of her subjects, come to hear the news that their Sa-Lua wished to share with them.

Fawn smiled.

She was wearing a long black dress, with long sleeves and bare shoulders. Her hair had been piled up on top of her head, and her silver tiara sat prettily, sparkling in the moonlight. Kiki stood beside her, staring proudly at her Mistress.

Fawn spread her arms wide, her smile disappearing as she addressed her people.

"Citizens of Della Luna!" bellowed Fawn, quieting the murmuring that had been going on below.

"Our land is in a dark time. The Night Order grows stronger daily and our King has fallen ill. Our prince has betrayed us, leaving us to rot in eternal darkness."

There was a somber silence, some of the older people wept openly, many of them feeling heavily loyal to sick King.

"But fear not!" continued the Princess, "I, your Sa-Lua, have worked hard to ensure our survival, to ensure that we will find the heart of our world and win this war!"

An excited growl rose among the Lupisomra, and the crowd began to lose their beaten demeanour. Hope? Really?

Fawn smiled. "I have found someone, someone who specializes in finding the Hearts of worlds and unlocking them, so that light and power may pervade our land!"

The people stared up at their Princess, enthralled.

"People of Della Luna," said Fawn with a smirk, stepping back and gesturing towards the door behind her that led back inside the castle.

"May I introduce you the Master of the Keyblade, Unlocker of Hearts, and…"

Fawn fell onto one knee, soliciting gasps from below.

"…your new Pe-Lua."

The murmurings grew to a fervor, and several of the Lupisomra had to take a few snaps at some rabble rousers, assuring that the Sa-Lua had the people's undivided attention.

Fawn smiled as she saw a figure begin to emerge from the darkness of the doorway. She rose to her feet and turned to face her subjects.

"Citizens of Della Luna! All hail Prince Sora!"

The crowd went wild as their new prince appeared. A youth, perhaps the same age as Princess Fawn, with spiky brown hair that had darker brown, almost black streaks, and eyes a dark sapphire, looking almost black. All around his arms and curling up his neck and face were dark tattoos, woven in the most intricate of shapes. There was a star, what appeared to be a mouse, a wolf's head, a star-shaped shape with three pointed mini-stars at each point, and many more. He was wearing black pants, with a black belt stretching from his left hip to his right thigh and a gray belt crossing over it from the opposite direction. His shirt was dark grey, with the different phases of the moon shown in intricate black swirls all throughout it. He wore a black and silver cloak over top. It was a prince's cloak, with the silver lining shimmering and the garment fitting his muscular physique perfectly. He observed the crowd, his eyes hooded, before raising his right hand.

The crowd fell silent.

In a flash, the magnificent weapon known as the Keyblade appeared in his hand. It was in its original form, but as he raised it above his head its form shimmered and turned to Oblivion.

The crowd went wild.

Fawn smiled as she watched her people cheer and begin to shout their new prince's name.

She turned to him, running a hand through his hair, which was now significantly shorter than it had been (**A/N Roxas length) **and tracing one of the tattoos on his cheek. It was the tattoo of some sort of circular weapon, a chakram maybe.

Fawn looked at the various symbols on her prince's body with amusement.

When she had found Sora, he had been in horrible condition. Chest torn wide open, body broken and beaten by falling rocks, it was a wonder that he had had even a single breath left in his body. Fawn had channelled as much Dark energy as she could into him, the only way she knew how to heal. At first, she'd met resistance, from the nuisance known forever as Roxas. Luckily, Fawn had been prepared. After Maleficent's first warning about Roxas, the Princess had been planning to get rid of him, and right then, when Sora was barely conscious, was the perfect time.

Fawn's power was something special to be sure. Her entire strength came from her mind. She could use her mind to go into the thoughts of others, manipulate their dreams, and play with their emotions, such as what she'd done to Sora. Her range was incredible too. She could walk in the dreams of a boy worlds away, a boy she hadn't even met at the time. She could use magic with only her mind, and she didn't have to even be in the area, such as opening a Dark Portal under Sora when he had been fighting her Shadow Wolves. She could also connect with all her Dark creations, something that Luciano had never accomplished.

At the same time, she could use her power to seriously injure people mentally. The ability that Fawn had used time and time again on prisoners of war was one that struck fear into all those that knew of it. Fawn could go into someone's mind and create a world made up completely of their fears, sadness, pain, and any suffering they had gone through. She could trap them there, sending their mind to a place of nightmares. There were currently seven Night Order soldiers drooling in the dungeons, trapped in never-ending comas of Hell. The others had wasted away.

That was what she had done to Roxas, sent him into a prison of his own mind while kicking him out of Sora's. The blonde's translucent shape had tumbled out of her Prince, and she had used a spell to trap his form in a hidden shape, while his mind remained trapped in its own personal Hell. Getting rid of the Nobody had hurt Sora, and she had winced at that, but the end product was better than she had hoped for.

Somehow, in the fall, Sora's bag of keychains and tumbled from one of his many pockets and spilled all over him. When Fawn had healed him with Darkness, the keychains had melted into his body, appearing as dark tattoos. It was convenient, as he could now summon any form of Keyblade just by willing it, and it made him look more intimidating, more dark, more like a citizen of Del Perso.

"Fawn,"

The Princess was shaken out of her revelry by Sora's voice. His voice sounded older than it had been before, weighted down by Darkness. And yet, it was more child-like than ever, influenced by his naivety when it came to matters of the Dark.

Fawn smiled, taking his hand. Not to worry, she would soon teach him all he needed to know.

"Don't worry, my Prince," she whispered, rising up on her toes to kiss him.

"Together, we'll save this land. Our land. We'll rebuild Della Luna together, make it a safe, happy and light-filled place for our people, for the future generations…for our children," she whispered against his lips.

Sora didn't reply, merely kissed her back.

The cheering of the crowd below grew to a crescendo, and Fawn's smile grew as she embraced her prince.

_I win. _

**xoxoxoxo**

**Kay, this is super rushed like I said. But I didn't want to leave you with a major cliffie before I left so, here. Worry not if it's unsatisfactory. I will fix it. Actually, drop some reviews on some things that might need tweaking when I redo this chappie. Or, heck, tell me if it's fine the way it is! **

**But seriously, last chappie, review. **

**Oh! I almost forgot! This isn't the end! (haha, that's kind of important, can't believe I almost forgot to say that…) There will be a sequel! Yah! Um, for titles I'm thinking **_**Pain of Memories, **_**but I'm not sure. Anyhoo, it might be a month or so before the first chappie's out. It depends. Might wanna check my profile every now and again. Okay! Thanks for reading! **

**Shoutouts to all my reviewers! I luvs you! **

**Special shout outs to **_**Lord Fortune**_**, who is the best for constructive criticism. And **_**Nobody-XV**_**, who came out of nowhere and reviewed like a mad person. Completely made my day! **

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p**


	19. IT HATH ARRIVED!

**HEY GUYS! **

**Guess what? **

**IT'S UUUUUUP! **

**The sequel to this wonderful story has been posted! Sorry for the wait. Honestly, I finished the first chapter ages ago, but I haven't been able to think of a name for the story! Argh! And then, dear lord, I had to think of a summary! Will the atrocities never cease?!**

***ahem***

**Anyhoo, jet over to my profile and click on **_**Another Sky, Another Destiny. **_**The title may change, if I think of a better one, but for now, it shall remain **

**AND MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A REVIEW. **

**Lots of love! **

**xoxo, natcat5 ;p **


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